A Hunters Pride
by ElementalShadow
Summary: Young Alastor Demor, Master of Weapons and Slayer of Nergigante, is dead. It is in his death, however, that he will find a new calling from a new employer. Sent on through the fabric of time and space, armed with powers beyond even Hunters of his own field, he will set out to make this New World a better place.
1. Chapter 1

**A Hunters Pride  
Chapter One  
Terms With Death**

' _Oh man…Fuckin' Sapphire Star I really need to get the number of that Duramboros that hit me! Why does my head hurt so much?!'_

A young man opened his dull brown eyes to an endless white void. As everything, or lack thereof, came into focus, his heartbeat quickened as he tried to keep himself from panicking in his unknown surroundings. _'What the…this isn't the camp. This definitely isn't Astera, either! This isn't where I should be at all! Where am I?! Wait…am I…no…no I can't be!'_

As he failed to keep himself from panicking, he tried to stand up but found that instead he was floating through nothingness, causing him to freak out even more. _'Oh my god…oh my god! Nononononononono! I can't be dead yet! I don't wanna die! There's so much that I haven't done!'_

" **Judging by the fear I can feel practically rolling off of you, I believe I am right in assuming you know what is happening?"**

The young man's eyes widened as he spun around to meet the dark, echoing voice, but spun to fast and started to go out of control, only catching a glimpse of a black cloak that billowed in the nonexistent wind. As he spun round and round, he tried to speak without sounding like he was having five separate heart attacks at the same time. He failed. "W-who are you? Why am I here?! A-a-am I dead?!"

His momentum didn't stop and he couldn't keep himself from spinning so he subjected himself to catching mere worrying glimpses of the being that was uncomfortably close to him. **"For the sake of drama I think I'll just answer those questions in reverse. It's not too terribly often that I get the chance to make an offer such as this so I'd like to savor it. Now…are you dead? Yes, in a manner of speaking, you are indeed dead. It's rather unfortunate how it happened too. You were an amazing Hunter. I speak the truth when I say it is strange for one as skilled as you to be taken down in such a manner."**

The man recognized the amused tone in the beings voice and grew irate. "What're you talking about?!"

" **Unfortunately you were taken by surprise when a Kulu-Ya-Ku ambushed you with a rock. It truly is a sad way to go. One such as yourself…I expected you to go out in a blaze of glory fighting one of the Great Elder Dragons."**

His eyes widened in disbelief and shock. "Hey! That's not true! I had to be killed doing SOMETHING cool! I died because of that dumb bird?! I'm only fuckin' twenty-four for fucks sake! Please…PLEASE tell me you're joking!"

The dark chuckle that echoed around the space they occupied set him on edge. **"Oh believe me, I wish I were. When I say that you're not off to a very good start as my agent, I mean it wholeheartedly. Though, with skills such as yours, I'm sure you'll more than make up for it in the future."**

"Wait…your agent?"

" **Indeed. That's the answer to your second question. Why are you here? Your time was short on your world. As such you have been brought before me to be granted a second chance at life as my agent. More specifically, an Agent of Balance. Many beings such as me have agents scattered across the dimensions. Some have multiple. Beings like me, however…well we are only allowed to have one. When our previous agent dies we are able to conscript a new one. It has been far too long since my last contract. Though, that is thanks to the boons granted by my contract and gifts."**

The young man was surprised by this. He had also still failed to stop spinning and was beginning to get a headache. "Agents…of Balance? Like Order and stuff like that? Sounds like hefty shoes to fill if you ask me, even for a Hunter."

The being hummed in delight as his dark voice seemed more amused than anything. **"Some might think the same. However, you are wrong. Balance is not defined as simply Order. It is Chaos as well. As my agent especially, you will be whatever the world you are sent to, requires. An unstoppable evil, a never-ending beacon of hope. Should the time call for either, you shall be the driving force behind it. Some would question why, but of course, what hope would a human have of understanding the will of Gods. Not to worry, though, not everything requires such a calling. More often than not you will simply live a normal life as you see fit. Keeping balance in the world wherever you go and doing as you please. A true second chance at life. A chance to reinvent yourself and become greater than before"**

The man grunted in understanding and continued to spin in place. At this point he had accepted his torment and crossed his legs and arms, closing his eyes as he spun, his brown hair already ruined from the ceaseless spinning. "So you mean that I get to pretty much chill half of the time? Man…that sounds kinda boring. I hope there are fun things to do. Hmmm…am I getting paid?"

If the being was annoyed at the question, he couldn't tell. But the voice did seem to get a slight edge to it. **"You are getting a second chance at life, powers that mortals such as yourself could only ever dream of AND a boon of your own choosing. Yet you are worried about pay?"**

He shrugged and continued to keep himself crossed. "Look, I don't even know where you're sending me, but odds are, if there's people involved, then money is going to be a must. Look, I don't even care if you just set me up with a job in this world I just wanna make sure that I ain't gonna be sleeping under a bridge as an Agent of Balance. I'm not asking much. I became a Hunter so I could help people. Keep 'em safe from the monsters of the world. I got paid decently regardless. All I ask is a tiny bit of compensation so I can at least afford to eat and keep a roof over my head. I ain't the grand type. Also, you haven't even told me who you are yet. If I'm gonna do this then I wanna know who I'm working for."

There was a long and drawn out sigh before suddenly, the man stopped spinning. **"Well…I suppose I can't really argue with that. Besides…you are far more bearable than my last Agent. At least you aren't like him. Nothing but a self-entitled little brat that one was. He was a waste of my time and everyone he met. A stain upon my name."**

The man slowly opened his eyes, with the black mass in front of him still swirling as he tried to focus from spinning for so long. **"As for who I am, young Alastor Demor, I am whom most of your race fears. The ultimate truth and inevitable fate of the Universe itself."**

The now named Alastor had to squint his eyes to see the human skull lurking beneath the cloak of living darkness, with a large and deadly looking scythe with a blade that was easily four feet long. While inwardly terrified of the revelation to come, on the outside his face was unwavering. "The 'Ultimate Truth'…is Skeletor?"

Before the being could continue, Alastor had made his little quip, stopping it dead for a good minute as they stared at one another, with the cloaked being easily towering over the cross-legged Alastor, who simply stared up. **"All things considered…knowing who you are…I shouldn't be surprised. But are you serious? Of all things…Skeletor? You shouldn't even know about him to begin with!"**

Alastor couldn't help but chuckle as what was obviously Death itself pinched the bridge of his nonexistent nose. **"No…you imbecile…I am Death. Just…let's get this over with so I can send you on your way. You have a new world to defend. Or destroy…whichever need pops up."**

"See that's just odd…" Death groaned as Alastor cupped his chin in thought. "You said that before, that if the need rose then I'd have to be some sort of unstoppable evil. Why? If a world is peaceful then I don't want to be a dick and mess that up. I spent my whole life trying to make my world safer for everyone. This is a major flip of the script."

The Reaper would've been rolling his eyes if he had any, he was sure of it. **"That is not something that I can fully explain. It is beyond you humans to understand us godly beings and the reasons we do what we do."**

"I mean…do I HAVE to be a major asshole? Can't I just be a little asshole? I don't wanna go starting wars or anything."

" **You do what must be done, and what must be done is determined by your instincts. You're reading too much into this. More than you really should be. I was trying to be dramatic!"**

The young man nodded and waited patiently for the Reaper to gather his thoughts through his irritation. **"As you already know, you are getting a second chance at life. I will be sending you through a tear in the fabric of reality and you will take residence on the world where you end up. Beings such as me cannot choose where we want our agents to go. Writ set down by us long ago. Far longer than even your species has existed. The power that you will gain will be an essence of me. Nothing too terribly complicated. However, learning to control the energy that your body will naturally produce after being conscripted by me will be a daunting task. I'm sure that you will be able to figure it out, though. You are a Hunter of exceptional skill, after all. That leaves us with the matter of your Boon. You may choose whatever you want. I should say that you should use this choice wisely. The wrong choice may make you regret it later on."**

Alastor put a hand on his chin and closed his eyes, trying his best to look sagely before he eyed Deaths Scythe that hovered behind the great being. With a smirk adorning his lips, he snapped his fingers and pointed at the deathly blade. "I want your scythe."

Death stared back at Alastor for a long while before his eyeless sockets peered at his Scythe, its perfect blade reflecting his skull. _**"You…want me to give you…my Scythe. Whatever could you want her for?"**_

The soon-to-be Agent was caught for a moment at how his dark voice seemed to waver for a moment. "Well, you said that I could ask for whatever I wanted. I figured that if I am going to be an Agent of Death itself, then I could staple myself with a look. Not to mention that when it comes to weapons, Hunters don't use Scythes and every Forge Master I meet will never make me one. They always say it's too dangerous to use or some stuff like that. Also, with this energy you're talking about, I don't really have a need to ask for weapons. If I'm right, and I'm pretty sure that I am, it would help me focus whatever type of energy you were talking about and I would be able to make her turn into other weapons."

" **She does have the capacity to transform…and She would indeed be a perfect focus. Hmmm…you're sure there isn't something else you would want? I could easily create a focus for your energies. I could even grant you instantaneous knowledge on techniques and how to channel it."**

Alastor looked to contemplate it for a moment before shaking his head. "I tend to pick things up pretty fast. Plus I have at least something resembling an imagination so I can just come up with my own techniques alongside the ancient Hunter Arts I've mastered. Your Scythe is the perfect boon for me. Besides, with your reaping and stuff, do you really need your Scythe? Can't you just poof someone's soul out of their body or something?"

The Reaper groaned and wrapped his bony fingers around the six foot long shaft of his Scythe. **"I don't require her for reaping. I myself am not required for the reaping itself. I am the governing Deity that oversees complications with the Afterlife before they get to where they're going. No. The unfortunate thing is that she is more than a mere tool. She and I are one and the same. Where she goes…ugh…I must go as well."**

"So what you're saying is…that you would have to come with me as well? Oh man that is so fucking awesome! I get Death as a travel buddy! Sweet!"

Death himself seemed to be having the absolute opposite reaction. He was rubbing the blade of his Scythe affectionately and groaning at Alastor's cheering. **"This isn't what I would call the most desirable situation. To be stuck cavorting around a random dimension with you for an unknown amount of time will most certainly be taxing. But, as per the arrangement of your Boon, it is unavoidable. Very well, Alastor Demor. Your Boon will be granted and both my Scythe and I shall accompany you to oversee your task. Hopefully this will be an amusing endeavor. For someone so young, you have much room to grow, despite your already great skill. I expect great things out of this arrangement."**

"Oh believe me, Mr. Rattle Bones; this is going to be one hell of a time!" Alastor was still ecstatic, having uncharacteristically gotten over his initial death rather quickly. He accepted it for what it was. It wasn't like he had family back in the New World. He was an Orphan from day one. The only one who would really remember him was his teacher.

Death sighed and used his Scythe to cut open a large dark tear in reality beside the two of them. **"I would appreciate you not referring to me with such a demeaning name."** The newly anointed Agent just chuckled as Death grabbed him by the back of his armor and tossed him through the tear without a care. " **Ugh…might as well get a move on."**

 **-X-X-X-**

One moment, Alastor was laughing at Death itself and the next he was falling from thousands of feet in the air. Instead of screaming, though, he took in the sight above him. A large, shattered moon that shined brightly in the night sky. _'Well now that's just a tad unsettling. Still cool, though. A New world with new sights is gonna be fun!'_

" **It has been awhile since I have seen this world. A long time indeed. I believe an Agent of Order is still here, as a matter of fact."**

Alastor looked to his left to see Death calmly falling alongside him with his Scythe hovering behind him still. "You've been here before, huh? So what can you tell me about this place? Is it cool? Advanced or anything like that?"

Death merely lifted a bony finger to point off into the distance and Joseph turned to see massive sky scrapers and lights. He grinned in delight as he righted himself into a proper freefall. "Oh I can already tell we're going to have a lot of fun in this place! I can't wait!"

" **Normally I would say that this world would challenge you to the fullest, but with my Scythe by your side and your already groomed skills as a Hunter, you shouldn't have too much of an issue. So long as you use her properly. Now get ready, you need to land."**

He noticed that the forest below was coming up fast and smirked before flipping and trying to land on his feet. Unsurprising to himself, he landed and rolled almost a dozen times until he was able to steady himself and stand up. The resulting crater from his initial impact sent dirt and debris flying in every direction. Death hovered to the ground and with a wave of his hand, sent a gust of wind that cleared the dust. He couldn't help the raspy chuckle that escaped his skull.

Alastor dusted himself off as Death stared at him in what he assumed was surprise. The Reaper chuckled in a dark tone. **"I honestly thought that you were going to die. A fall from that height should've killed you. You Hunters truly are a strange collection of beings. Still, was kinda banking on it. You wouldn't know how to channel your powers so soon considering this isn't like one of those comic books where you just magically understand everything. Come to think of it…I haven't even given you your powers yet. Hm…slipped my mind I suppose."**

Alastor stared at the entity but failed to reply. How could he? His own employer was banking on him dying. He didn't have any retort. "Anyways…we're going to look over the fact that you were actively trying to kill me there and move on from it. Actually…why were you trying to kill me?"

" **Mr. Rattle. Bones."**

Alastor rubbed the back of his neck and looked away with a bit of embarrassment. "I was just joking, damn…fine, no more fooling around with Death. So…you still have to give me my powers and Boon, I guess?"

Death nodded. **"Hold out your hand for me. Right or left, I don't care which."**

Alastor did as he was told and held out his right hand before Death starting to scrape his index bone over it. To the Agent, though, it felt like a dull razorblade as the Deity etched a rune into his flesh. The rune itself wasn't anything spectacular. In fact, it seemed relatively unassuming if it weren't for the fact that it was carved into his skin. It was a simple circle with a square inside of it. **"By the Blessing of Death, I anoint thee my Agent of Balance."**

After he spoke, he pulled away and floated there, staring at Alastor. He looked at his hand and then back to Death. "Soooooo…is that it? I kinda figured it'd be a little bit mo-OOOOOOOOOOOOOOH FUCK!"

In an instant, Alastor was struck with an untold pain as his skin and muscles peeled from his bones and practically evaporated in the heat. His eyes melted from his skull and his clothes burst into flames. He screamed, despite the lack of lungs as energy flowed from Death and surrounded his now flaming skeleton. He collapsed to his knees and clutched his burnings skull. The rune that was etched on his hand appeared underneath him, glowing bright purple before the energy of Death sunk deep into his bones. Soon, he started to regrow his muscles and flesh, slowly. The process was beyond painful for the young Agent, but Death did nothing to assuage it. In his mind, it was worthy payback for the Rattle Bones comment.

Alastor was on his knees as his skin, now deathly pale, grew over his new muscles. His eyes grew back as well, turning royal purple with the whites of his eyes now being completely black like the abyss. His hair, which used to be brown, was now a stark black. He had fangs growing in his mouth and claw-like nails. His height remained unchanged as he stood up and clothes began to form on him. A skin tight black shirt that accented his new muscles and a pair of regular blue jeans over tan combat boots. Black fingerless gloves formed on his hands, covering the Rune of Death, as he would now call it. Then, the final touch, a long white trench coat with black straps forming an X over his chest with a skull medallion on it formed. The bottom seemed like it was in tatters, but was alive as well, shifting in a breeze that was not there.

As Alastor looked over his new form and felt the fangs he gave a look to the Reaper. "Really going for the edge-lord look right now, aren't you?"

Death grunted and waved him off. **"Every entity has a way of making sure that others know who they represent. My styles may seem…edgy…but they will serve their purpose if another entity sends Agents to this world. You can always change your clothes if you want. It's not like you need to go around wearing the same thing all the time like some cartoon character."**

Alastor thought about it for a moment and shook his head. "Nah, I kinda like the look. Just thought it was a little stereotypical. Besides, I'm pretty sure with my new powers I shouldn't have a problem making copies of it or at least cleaning it. Unless I need actual armor, of course. Going into battle wearing a coat and some pants isn't exactly a sound strategy for survival."

" **You're not wrong. Anyways…now it is time for you to claim your Boon. My Scythe is a little different, though. She will remain by my side until you need her. You can will her to you when you require her assistance. Just be prepared for the blast."**

This caused the agent to raise a brow. "Blast? That certainly sounds pretty ominous."

Death shifted away and looked through the forest towards the lights of the city. **"My Scythe and I exist on a completely separate plane of existence. The only reason you can see me is became you are my Agent. When you claim her, she will become one with both the Astral Plane and the Physical Plane. This will most likely create a back blast of immense energy due to her supernatural origins being a part of me."**

Alastor started to walk as they talked with Death hovering closely behind. "Doesn't that mean that you will come over as well? Since you are a part of it too?"

Though he could not see it, Death shook his head. **"No. Only I control where I reside. I cannot be forced from the Astral Plane without my consent. She can be influenced, but only because I allow it. Besides, should I cross over from the Astral Plane to the Physical, it would do more harm than good. My presence alone would suck the life from everything in sight."**

This made Alastor go wide-eyed a bit. He put his hands in his pockets as they reached an open area of the forest. "So you're like…a walking cataclysm waiting to happen, huh? That's actually kinda scary. Kinda like an Elder Dragon."

" **I am Death. I AM my domain. It's not scary. It's common sense."**

Alastor shrugged. "Okay then, so what about this back blast, won't it kill people around me if I bring her out around them? That would be pretty counterproductive in the long run. I did a lot of solo hunts but I may need allies in the future."

Death picked a flower from the field as they passed it, watching as the petals withered away and scattered to dust in the wind. **"Only if you will it to be. My presence may be death itself, but you are but an Agent. While it will be hard for you to control, you can easily focus your Death Energy through my Scythe. She is the perfect focus for someone like you."**

"I dunno what you mean." Alastor looked around as he walked and narrowed his eyes as he saw sharp red eyes peering out from the shadows of the forest.

" **When I mark an Agent, I give them an incomplete Rune. The power of Death is not one to be taken lightly. You must become acclimated to it. As you move through your new life, your power will grow exponentially, completing the Rune. When I marked you, however, your body took to my energy like fish take to water. It is as though you yourself were shrouded in death from the start. You power will no doubt be great one day. Perhaps enough to match that Agent of Order I sensed when we entered this world."**

 **-X-X-X-**

High up in a tower, a man with sharp features, grey hair and glasses sat drinking a cup of hot cocoa. He was busy looking through multiple files concerning new students that would be entering his academy this year. The talent was certainly there, but nothing he hadn't seen before. He truly did hope at some point that someone of note would come to his attention in the future.

As he took another sip of his cocoa, though, he was set upon by a violent sneeze that made him drop his cup onto the scroll that was in front of him, making it spark violently before puffing out smoke. With a sigh, he grabbed a napkin and started to clean.

 **-X-X-X-**

Alastor kept his eyes on the shadows of the forest as they soon reached the edge that slanted down a hill towards the city. Sliding down with a clearly practiced ease, he gave Death a quizzical look. "You've mentioned him twice now. How many Agents are there here? Where is 'Here' anyway?"

Death stopped him at the bottom and pointed off into the distance. Looking far enough, Joseph saw a massive tower that looked oddly like a clock-tower. **"Of note, there are only three Agents, not including yourself. There is an Agent of Order from the goddess of Wisdom, an Agent of Domination from the self-proclaimed King of the Gods, and an Agent of Cataclysm sent here by the Goddess of Chaos. Minor Agents of Minor Deities are everywhere in every world, though, but they are the three major players here. As for where we are, this is a world that I visited some time ago. This is the world of Remnant."**

Alastor nodded and continued into the streets of the city, walking around and getting a feel for what he was seeing. Despite it being so late, almost three in the morning, the streets were actually pretty busy. "So we have normal humans and fluffy humans. Animal Humans. Animans? I wonder if they're like the Wyverians…hmmm… Whatever, I'll figure it out later. Either way, this world has some pretty advanced tech. I wouldn't mind getting my hands on a few pieces of it and making some ACTUAL weapons so I'm not relying on your Scythe since you seem so attached to it. But of course I'm brok-…hey! We never discussed payment!"

This caught not only Death off guard, but everyone around him. Most figured he was crazy, glaring off into nothingness like he was. Neither Death nor the Agent were aware of the looks that Alastor was getting, however. **"You mean to tell me you were actually serious about that?! I brought you back from the DEAD! TWICE! I am ALLOWING YOU to use my Scythe! You seriously want me to pay you?! Get a job you bum!"**

Alastor sucked his teeth and turned on his heel, walking away and leaving a confused group of people who went on their ways, wanting to forget the strange human. He mumbled to himself so that Death could hear him. "You could at least set me up with a way to MAKE money! I don't have any type of work history here or ANYTHING! I'm dead in the water with the powers of Death. I'm just asking for a bit of help."

Death barely acknowledged his complaining as they entered what could only be known as the Red Light District of the city. A street beset by seedy bars and questionable businesses. Men and women alike conducted themselves in a most appalling manner. It had always eluded him how places such as these could exist when the law was always so close by. **"It is not my place to grant you miraculous help. Normally I wouldn't even be here, but because you have my Scythe, I am bound by her to be by your side. As such, I cannot intervene in such a manner. Be happy that I will offer what guidance I can. I will give you this, at the very least. This city is beset by chaos and corruption. The Agent of Order is slacking off and the Agent of Cataclysm is making moves against this civilization using pawns. I can feel it down to the core. Eliminating the cause of this Chaos will most definitely bag you a hefty bounty. Or, perhaps you can make him or her change his or her ways, like some sort of hero. Either way, you can easily solve your money issues if you heed my words and take a deeper look. One pawn of the Agent of Cataclysm is nearby. Though, I'm not sure if he knows he's being used in such a manner."**

Alastor eyed Death and took a look around, noticing what he was talking about. This particular area was a place he recognized all too well. He had seen places like these traveling to the larger settlements on his own world. While he was never really one to take part in the services they offered, he made sure to understand how things worked. He grinned. He knew exactly where to start looking.

It didn't take him long, either. At the very end of the street, on the corner, sat a club that was much cleaner than any other place around. Horrendously out of place, if you asked him. "Well that wasn't very hard at all. That's gotta be the bosses place. It'll certainly be a good place to start for some information on this place."

As he walked down the street, however, he noticed something out of place. Actually…he sensed it. This caught him by surprise as he felt what could only be described as a disturbance not far from him down an alleyway. As a Hunter he had developed a sort of Sixth Sense for knowing where the creatures he hunted were, but this was something else entirely. Curiosity getting the better of him, he jogged over, followed by the Reaper and peered around the corner to find an interesting sight. A young man with blonde hair, a black hoodie and an overstuffed backpack, was being thrown around by four men, all dressed like punks and thugs. Death and Alastor watched for a moment as the blonde was tossed into the side of a dumpster before one of the men, a man wearing a black bandana with a skull on it, pulled out a rather large knife and held it to the kids throat.

"Now listen up you punk, all we want is your money and you can walk out of here with at least one of your eyes. Don't make this any harder than it needs to be. I ain't got no problems guttin' you like a fish!" The blonde had fear in his eyes as Death hovered between Alastor and the thugs. **"This injustice upsets you as much as it does me. Life is precious and yet they threaten it so brazenly. I believe I speak for us both when I say you must put a stop to this. This will also be a good chance for you to test your new powers to a certain degree."**

The Agent nodded and walked out from behind the building. He tried to call upon his Death Energy, imagining it focusing into his eyes and making the blacks of his eyes darker, and the purple glow ominously. When he noticed that everything became sharper, he grinned. _'Imagination helps me focus it I'm assuming. That's good to know. I hope it's this easy with the rest…'_

He looked down at his shadow that cast down the alley and imagined it encompassing everything in an abyssal darkness. As it spread out, he could feel everything it touched, from the garbage on the ground to the four men surrounding the blonde. This action did not go unnoticed by the thugs, though. As the supposed leader turned and saw Alastor standing there, his purple eyes glowing ominously with his hands in his pockets. The shattered moon hung over his head and his coat seemed to grasp at the shadows around it.

This somehow didn't deter him, though. "Hey, fuckhead, what're you doing?! You want some of this too? Get the fuck out o' here before I slice your eyes outta your head!" He turned back to the blonde but was stopped when a very cold voice came from the ominous man. "See, I can't really do that, y'know? I got this little ping going off in my head telling me that what you guys are doing here is just plain wrong. Muggin' a kid who looks like he couldn't fight his way out of a wet paper bag? With four people? That's a little overkill don't ya think? Just let him go an' we can call it a night. What do ya say?"

Alastor inwardly grinned. He felt like some sort of Super Hero! While he was a Hunter capable of feats that transcended what even peak humans could do, he was nothing close to a Super Hero. Plenty of men and women had the skills he did in his line of work, so this was nice. He didn't have much time to bask in his own splendor, though, as the thugs tossed the blonde kid away and turned to him. "Alright, you want us to let him go? Come on over and take him from us!"

He rubbed the back of his neck in frustration and looked behind him up at the shattered moon. "You see, I totally would fight you guys, but I got things to see and people to do. I'd really appreciate it if you guys could just…ya know…not do this? It'll be easier for all of us in the end, believe me."

The leader had enough and cocked his head, signaling his posse to go for him. Alastor groaned but on the inside he was having a blast! _'Oh man! This is awesome! Goddamn I'm just like some lazy hero from those books that Caligra reads!'_

" **Careful you don't get carried away with this hero façade you're putting on. Boast too much and play around and you'll get people killed. I shouldn't have to tell a veteran Hunter this."**

Alastor wasn't listening as he pulled his other hand out and slugged the first guy in the face, breaking his nose in an instant and making him fly back between the other two. He landed twenty feet away and continued to roll another ten. This caught them all by surprise, including the Agent. Sure, he had freakish strength so he could handle the insane weapons he did, but he never expected that much force behind a single punch. "Oh Shit! This guys a Huntsman! C'mon guys let's get out of here!"

The one that landed scrambled up to his feet as the two that charged with him followed while he ran away, leaving Alastor and the Leader with the blonde. "So you got a little bit of power behind your punches. That your semblance or something? Some type of super strength? Well I ain't lettin' some second rate Huntsman stop me! I got my own Aura and Semblance too!"

The thug clicked a button on his large knife and it turned into a pistol before he started to unload shot after shot at Alastor. Luckily for him, the energy that he had channeled into his eyes seemed to allow him to perceive what was coming and he dodged every single one, except for the final shot, which he caught in between his fingers with a smirk. However, the thug grinned as the bullet exploded in a fiery blaze, catching Alastor off guard and surprising him once more.

The smoke kicked up from the explosion soon started to blow away and both the blonde and the thug realized that Alastor wasn't moving. The blonde look worried and scared while the punk had an amused grin on his face. "Betcha weren't expecting that, huh you bitch?!"

As the dust around his head cleared, both onlookers immediately recoiled in surprise and terror. Half of the skin and muscle on Alastor's face was scorched and torn up, revealing bone and his jaw. His eye remained surprisingly untouched as its sickeningly purple hue continued to glow. "Huh…that didn't hurt…but that should've…shouldn't it? No feeling? But I can feel the wind…this is…confusing."

The thug quivered slightly as he saw the glint of the moon off of his exposed fangs, the eerie glow of Alastor's eyes making him shake even more. "What the…what are you?! Some kind of monster?! Is this your Semblance?!"

The skin and muscle soon grew back along with the hair that was scorched off and Alastor cracked his neck. In the span of two seconds he was in front of him and lifting him into the air by his throat. "Look bud…I got some things I need to figure out so if you could just heed my warning and leave the kid alone…that'd be great. I'd rather not have to bust out the big guns."

He then threw him down a few feet away and the thug looked terrified as he slowly backed away before dashing off. Joseph rolled his eyes and popped his necked again before looking at the blonde against the wall. The kid recoiled and put his hands up to defend his face. "I don't have any money on me! I'm just here to try and go to Beacon!"

Alastor huffed and grabbed him by his wrist, pulling him up to his feet. "Quick that shit kid. I'm the good guy here. The name's Alastor Demor, Veteran Hunter. You're lucky I came by when I did otherwise you probably would've ended up taking a dirt nap. Now, I got places to go and things to break, so get out of here and keep your ass safe."

As he turned to walk away, the blonde quickly followed behind him, getting a look from the Agent. "What're you doing? I said get going, kid. I got business with the man in charge around here and I ain't got time to babysit someone who can't take care of themselves."

This made the blonde pause for a moment before continuing. "I have a name, you know. It's Jaune Arc. And you can't just leave me here by myself! What if they come back?! Or something worse happens?!"

Alastor rolled his eyes and sighed. "Fine, Jaune. Follow me. I don't care. But don't expect me to cover your ass if things get hairy."

"I can take care of myself! I was going to go school to be a Huntsman, you know." Alastor peered back behind him and saw the way the young blonde walked and carried himself. Even now he walked like he was in danger. Caution was good, but actively showing fear was not something a Hunter does. Even in the face of the most terrifying beasts, a Hunter stands tall.

"Whatever you say, kid. Whatever you say."

This made Jaune deflate as they walked down the partially lit street. "Ok…so maybe I'm not the best candidate for Beacon…but I can hold my own. They just got the drop on me, is all."

Alastor stopped underneath a street light and turned to face the blonde. "While I don't doubt that a single person would have trouble taking care of four others, you don't exactly give off the vibe of a warrior to me." He looked over his shoulder to the club and then back to Jaune. "How much do you know about this city?"

This took Jaune by surprise before putting his hands in his pockets rather sheepishly. "You mean Vale? I know a bit about it. Not too much since I lived in a small village with my family, but we came here a lot to get things that we couldn't get there. Why?"

The Agent of Death kept running options through his mind while the Reaper, close by, already knew what he was thinking about. **"You're taking pity on this kid, aren't you? You plan to offer him training in the arts of a Hunter of your world. Aren't you?"**

Alastor chose to ignore him for the moment in favor of talking to Jaune. "How old are you, kid?" Jaune looked down at the sidewalk. "I…I'm only fourteen. Look I know you have to be seventeen to get in, but…I want to be a Huntsman! My mom won't let me; my sisters think I can't do it and my dad…"

With those words, Jaune narrowed his eyes and looked up to Alastor with a fire in his eyes that the Agent recognized all too well and he could help how it slightly shocked him.

 **-X-X-**

" _What d' ya want, ya little brat?!"_

" _I want you to train me you old fart!"_

 _A young, brown-haired, brown-eyed boy in rags glared up at a man clad in sleek leather armor decorated with bones. On his back he carried a sword easily longer than his entire body. The man ran a hand through his short greying hair with a sigh as his blue eyes hardened at the demanding child, stress lines showing on his face. "I ain't old ya little twerp! Learn tah show some respect!"_

 _The young boy kept his gaze fixed on the old Hunter. "Make me!"_

 _The man groaned and picked him up by the back of his ratty shirt and brought him up to eye level. "Why don't ya run on home an' bug yer mom or yer dad about this trainin' ya want so bad 'steada buggin' me?"_

 _It was at those words that the child's eyes dropped and lost their glare. The man immediately knew he touched a sore subject before he huffed and set the kid back down on his feet. "I'm sorry kid…didn' mean tah hurt ya or nothin'. I ain't got time tah be trainin' no kids right now, though. All this 'New World' business an' all, I'm pretty bogged down with requests an' all. Sorry kid."_

 _The child didn't reply, he only turned and started to walk away sullenly. The Hunter rubbed his neck and groaned. "Hey…kid. What's yer name? Ya got one don'tcha?"_

 _The kid stopped and turned by with red eyes as he fought back tears. He shook his head no and the sight of it all made the Hunter flinch slightly. 'Ah damn…had tah make the kid cry…ugh…Commander ain't gonna like it but…can't turn down a cryin' kid…'_

 _He sighed and sat back down at his Canteen table, patting the seat beside him. The kid eyed him for a moment before rubbing his eyes and slowly making his way to the seat. The Hunter rubbed his temples and waved a dark Palico over before telling it he wanted some meat and veggies for the kid. "I can't pay for food here…I'm fine anyways. I have plenty of fruits from the forests around here."_

 _The Hunter huffed and shook his head. "Fruit's good an' all, but ya need meat on them bones if yer really wantin' tah be a Hunter. Lesson number one, brat. Eating is one of the most important things yah could ever do. Never skip a meal. Ya can't pay, find me. I ain't lettin' no student of mine go hungry, yah hear me?"_

 _The kid got wide eyed and smiled at the Hunter and after not too long, a plate was brought for him and he thanked the Palico and the Hunter before digging in. The old man could help the small, unnoticeable grin on his face before speaking. "So ya ain't got a name, huh? We'll have tah change that. My name's Caligra Demor. From here on out yer gonna be callin' me 'Master', ya got that?"_

 _He got a very energetic nod back in reply before grabbing a beef kebob and gnawing a piece of meat off. "Now…gotta give ya a name…hmmm. Gotta be somthin' powerful! Somethin' people're gonna remember! I want monsters and men tah know yer comin' when they hear yer name!"_

 _The boy smiled and practically had sparkles in his eyes as Caligra put thought into his name. He nearly cried before he jumped due to the Hunter slamming his fist on the stone table in a pure Eureka moment. "I got it! From now on, yer name…is gonna be Alastor Demor! That's a name that'll shake a Tigrex to the core!"_

 _The newly named Alastor could help the tears that dropped and wiped them away. "Thank you…I'll do my very best…I promise…"_

 _This caught Caligra's attention as he looked down and gave a quizzical look before he saw it and grinned. He saw a flame deep in Alastor's eyes that pierced into his very soul. A flame he remembered having back when he joined the guild. With a grin, he let Alastor continue his next words._

" _I'll become the greatest Hunter alive! I won't let you down!"_

 **-X-X-**

"…I don't care what they say! I'll become a Huntsman! I'll become a hero!"

Alastor schooled his face and sighed with a grin. "Sounds to me like everyone doubts you can do it. They think you can't cut it. Heh…" He turned and looked back to the club with a contemplative expression before looking back to Jaune once more. "Tell you what kid, come with me."

Jaune looked at Alastor with surprise and slight worry. "Wha…"

"You wanna be a Hunter, right kid? You wanna protect this world from evil? Be a hero? Well I can tell right now that you have nothing in the way of training under your belt. A baby Ludroth could pick your bones clean, no offense."

The blonde looked disheartened by this and lowered his gaze until he heard the Agent continue. "But we all gotta start somewhere. I wasn't worth the dirt on my masters' shoe before he took me in. Trained me…called me his son." Jaune looked up and saw something in Alastor's deep purple eyes. "I ain't gonna be calling you my son, kid, so don't get it twisted. But if you come with me then I can show you the ways of the Hunter. You said you're fourteen and this Beacon place only takes people who are seventeen, right? That means you got three years to get your ass in shape. If you accept then I'll make sure that in three years you'll not only get in, but you'll be top of your class. The road will be hell and I can't guarantee you won't want to quit, but I can see it in your eyes. The same fire that I had. So…what do ya say? You gonna stay here and get pushed around by street thugs, or are you gonna stand up and take the offer? 'Cause this is a one-time offer, kid."

Jaune looked at his hands, a thousand thoughts running through his head. Here he was, being offered what he wanted for so long. It was like a dream come true for him. He clenched his fists and looked back into Alastor's eyes and nodded sharply. "I'll do whatever it takes. I won't let you down!"

Alastor smirked and turned around to start walking back towards the club. "Good to hear, kid. Now c'mon. We got work to do, you and I."

Jaune smiled under the light and jogged after him to keep up as Death hovered close by. **"Unexpected. You wish to take on an apprentice? Surely there are others more qualified than him. He is brittle and will crumble under the weight of what must be done to become a Hunter like you."**

Alastor smirked and was about to speak, but didn't want to make his new apprentice think he was crazy. So, in a moment of imagination, he made a gamble and simply thought back to the Reaper. _'Sure, there are probably thousands of other people who would make better students in my ways, but I know a diamond in the rough when I see it. This kid has what it takes, of that I'm absolutely positive. People like us…well…finding another one would be harder than taking on every Elder Dragon in existence at the same time. Besides, I've wanted to pass on my knowledge to another for a while now. Hunters typically take apprentices sooner than me. Training them as kids when they reach a solid age like twenty or so. Caligra passed his knowledge on to me and I will keep his legacy going even in this new world.'_

Death looked forward and nodded as they neared the club. **"Very well. There are no rules against Agents taking apprentices. It's not like they can use our powers without our blessings anyway. Whether you tell him what you are or not is up to you. Just be sure that he can keep a secret. Should the other Agents find out about you then it could turn into a very bad situation very quickly."**

Alastor nodded and turned to catch Jaune in his gaze before they went inside. "You said you know a bit about this place. Vale, you said it was. You know anything about what I can expect in here?"

Jaune looked around and at the doors that had two bouncers posted up front before shaking his head. "Not really, no. I never really had a reason to come to this side of town on other visits to the city so I never got the chance to see what was going on here."

He eyed the door and took a firm grasp of his apprentices shoulder. "When we go inside you don't leave my side for any reason. You understand?" Jaune gulped a lump in his throat and nodded before they approached the door, only to be stopped by the two very fashion coordinated bouncers. "I dunno where you think you two are going, but it ain't here. Try some other place."

Alastor huffed and leveled a small glare at the one that spoke. "Look, I'm not trying to start a scene, here. I just need a little bit of information…maybe a job. Something that I can use to cement myself here in this city, y'know?"

The Hunter was quick and to the point, and that apparently worked a little bit as the one that had denied them uncrossed his arms and rubbed the back of his head. "Hmmm…I dunno…Junior is pretty picky about the people that work for him." This got the attention of the other one and he lightly slapped him on the back of the head. "Seriously? Picky?! Half the time he hires us out, less than half of us come back. He obviously doesn't care about our skills, you numbskull. Sure man, go on in, but don't start anything. It's been a quiet week without Roman coming through here and we don't need a ruckus."

" **Well…I suppose that's one way to do it. I'm actually surprised. I expected a bit of a scuffle."**

The man opened the door and quickly let Jaune and Alastor in, the former still wary of the two as they saw the inside of the club. The place was large and relatively sterile with a large dance floor populated with night-goers and the DJ up above who was clad in a suit and Bear mask that set Alastor on edge for a moment. _'That's…unsettling…'_

As they came up to the bar, the Hunter took note of the man behind it. He was well dressed and trimmed, wearing a black vest over his white shirt and red tie. On his hands he had black gloves to match his vest and dress pants. His hair was trimmed short and he had a matching beard and mustache. Another thing that Alastor took quick note of was that this man was tall, exceedingly so. He himself stood at six foot three, but this man was inches taller than himself. _'By the Elders…this man is a giant!'_

He cleared his throat and got the man's attention, while stilling cleaning the glass he held. "Yeah, what d'ya want? Looking for a drink or some food?"

Jaune took a seat at the bar, earning a side glance from the man before focusing back on the Hunter, who sat as well. He took note that Death was eyeing the wall of alcohol behind the bartender, but thought nothing of it. "I'm actually looking for the owner. I just need a bit of info about the city. Also…was thinking about getting a job. Was wondering if you could help me out a bit."

He huffed and set the glass down while rolling out wrinkles in his sleeves. "Yer lookin' at him. Name's Junior, or at least, that's what everyone calls me. And information costs money around here, and since yer lookin' for a job, that probably means you ain't got money. That means you're out of luck, sorry, not sorry."

Alastor groaned and slammed his head into the bar while Jaune pulled out a small black wallet with a rabbit on the front of it. "Um…sir, I have a bit of Lien. You think that'll work?"

Junior raised a brow and chuckled. "Unfortunately, I don't think any amount of money you got will pay for my information, kid. You two are better off going someplace else."

Jaune slipped his Lien cards back into his wallet and muttered a soft sorry to Alastor who continued to groan as his eyes began to glow, catching the Broker off guard for a moment. Death then pulled himself away from the wall and hovered nearby.

" **Groaning in defeat so soon. That doesn't seem like you at all. He denied you information, not a job. This man is obviously an information broker. Having him as either an employer or a friend will be beneficial to you in the long run."**

Alastor hummed in thought at the Reaper before lifting his eyes to Junior's. "You're right, I don't have money. But I could always work for you. I have plenty of useful skills that I'm sure a man like you could use."

Junior took note of the fact that his eyes HAD been glowing. It wasn't uncommon in Huntsmen and Huntresses who had their Aura's unlocked. "You some sort of defected Huntsman? Got the training you wanted and dipped out of school or something?"

Alastor, while he didn't know EXACTLY what a Huntsman was, figured that it was some version of his worlds Hunters. "I wouldn't say that. I have all of my training under my belt. Trained under one of the best in my field and I can take on anything you want me to, big or small."

The Bartender crossed his arms and eyed Jaune, who slinked into his seat. "What about the runt? He's a little young to be even a Huntsman-in-Training." The Hunter shook his head. "He is my apprentice, recently acquired. I'm going to be teaching him everything about what it means to be a true Hunter."

Junior grunted and kept his eyes trained on the two of them before flipping the glass over and pouring himself a quick drink. "I think I got something I could use you for, actually. And the Blondie, if you get this job done nice and clean."

The Hunter grinned and gave Junior a thumbs-up. "Whatever it is, Alastor Demor is on the job!"

Junior took note of that and nodded. "I got a shipment of Dust coming into the docks and I need it protected from the White Fang. They're turning into a real problem recently. Started with their little protests but now they're getting violent. My last shipment was stolen and I paid good money for shit bodyguards. You get it done then I'll let you come on with an actual contract, give you some information and I'll let the runt work around here for some extra money for himself when he ain't training with you."

Alastor kept his grin and looked at Jaune, who didn't look like he really wanted to, but conceded under the look of his new master. Looking back to Junior, he held out his hand for a shake, which the man took with a grin of his own. "I got your back. Watch the kid for me while I'm gone and I'll make sure your shipment comes back unharmed and whole!"

Junior jabbed a thumb to a door behind him. "I got some guys gearing up in the back, so head on out and tell them you're going with th-hold up!"

The Hunter had already started to move before the Bartender shouted for him to stop before running to the very end of the bar and coming back with what seemed like a moderately heavy box. This caught the Hunters eye and he leaned back against the bar as the Broker slammed it down and popped the lock on it. "I had a guy awhile back ask me to build him a weapon, but he never did come back so I'm just gonna assume he's dead. I was going to sell the plans for mass production, but I need to test the designs out first. You seem pretty capable so I was wondering if you would mind testing them out for me."

Alastor's eyes lit up as he heard the prospect of a new weapon to master, but lost it the moment he saw two silver bracers, each long enough to cover his forearms, and a metal, linked belt clunk onto the bar. His eyes looked dead for a moment as he shared a look with Death that didn't go unnoticed by Jaune and Junior as he seemed to stare at nothing for a moment. "Uh…Junior…no offense, but those aren't weapons. They're jewelry. At best they're pieces of armor I could shatter those with my bare hands."

To prove a point, he slammed a fist down onto one of the bracers and visibly recoiled while holding his fist to soothe the dull, throbbing pain. He hadn't put a lot behind the punch, but with his new super strength, he felt like that should've left at least a dent in it. Junior smirked before motioning to his hand. "Didn't hurt yourself there, did ya? This stuff is built out of the best materials money can buy. With people running around with Semblances like Superhuman Strength, I had to make it out of some really tough stuff. They can withstand enough force to crumble an Atlesian Destroyers hull!"

Alastor rubbed his knuckles again before shaking the rest of the dull pain away. "I dunno what that is, but anything with Destroyer in the name has to be pretty tough, right? Anyways…you said these are weapons, but so far all I'm hearing is armor."

Junior grinned even more as he made some sort of motion, wanting him to put them on, and the Hunter conceded. Pushing up his coat sleeves, he slipped the bracers on and before he could do anything else, he felt them go to work. In some sort of moment of magic, or so the Hunter thought, they began to extend all the way up to his shoulders and gained a protrusion of sorts that came over the back of his hands that had two slits each with what looked like a small barrel between them. Rolling his sleeves back up, he saw rotary chambers that were filled with multicolored substances that spun until they settled on a yellow dust type. Along the entirety of the armor there were clear tubes that began to fill with the yellow dust until they began to glow and pulse with pure power. He didn't miss the maniacal grin on the Bartenders face as he flexed and made the two slits react to his fists. From the two on each hand came foot-long blades that were serrated in the worst possible way, meant to rip and tear whatever they came in contact with. Alastor felt his own grin spread across his face as he made a few practice swipes while Jaune looked on in amazement and envy. Death himself was also astonished with the technology.

" **These gauntlets…they're expertly crafted and were able to withstand your strength. Extending all the way up, your arms are protected well and these blades…they're terrifying for any foe to face, I'm sure. I can feel the power in the dust within them. This Junior is quite good with his craft that much is positive."**

Before they could admire the weapon anymore, Junior tapped the buckle of the metal belt and surprised Alastor when they receded back to their bracer forms. "Awwww man! These things are so cool! We don't have anything like this where I'm from! How'd you get them to do that?!"

Junior couldn't help the chuckle that escaped his lips as he spoke. "These are state of the art. Made with the best I have to offer. These babies took months to perfect, but there are still some kinks to work out, no doubt. The connection mode is still faulty, so try not to use it for now. Those blades at the end work like snake fangs. You can stab someone or something and inject the dust into them for devastating effects. This belt here controls their transformation. Tap the buckle and they'll extend. Tap it again and they'll go back to being bracers. Be careful, though. They have a tendency to snag the skin a little during the process so it can pinch a bit. I'm still working on that, but with time I'll get it working good enough. Test them out if you get the chance so I can figure out what I need to do."

Alastor couldn't help a creeping thought in his head as he eyed Death for a moment before looking back to Junior. "You're being awfully trusting of someone you just met. What gives?"

Junior shrugged before finishing off his drink and cleaning the glass. "You seem like a trustworthy guy. Besides, you told me to watch the kid, so you'll be back. Even if you don't come back, I can find you no problem. Information is my business. No one can hide from me."

The answer was enough to set Alastor's mind at ease for the moment as he took the belt from the counter and replaced his own with it. He sighed and settled his mind before looking at Jaune, who didn't exactly look okay with being left with the Bartender. "Stay with Junior. I shouldn't be too long, so don't cause him too much trouble. Anyways…I'm off!"

 **-X-X-X-**

Alastor wasn't really sure where things had started to go wrong, but he wasn't exactly happy with it.

In the beginning, it wasn't so bad. Juniors' men had started to move the shipment into the truck and things were quiet as he and two others were left to watch out for any unsavory guests. When one of them left to go relieve himself and never came back, he should've felt the warning signals going off in his head. He knew that Death was trying to remain objective and wouldn't really help him out unless it was unavoidable.

It was when shots were heard that he immediately jumped into action. Men and women dressed in a black and white uniform with masks over their faces started to attack Juniors' men and he cursed himself before tapping the buckle of his belt and felt his new weapons extend up to his shoulders. _'This must be the White Fang Junior was talking about. I can't let them take anything!'_

Taking a stance meant for his Dual Blades, he dashed in, focusing his Death Energy throughout his body, or at least trying to, swiping at whoever came close to him.

He curled through the swipe of a White Fang member that had a sword and backhanded him, sending him into a container and leaving an uncomfortable dent in it while three others came from behind him, two with guns and another with a whip-like weapon.

Before he could react, he felt the whip wrap around his right arm and yank him towards them as the other two let loose their shots. He felt a sharp pain in his gut and chest as the bullets passed right through him, surprising the White Fang grunts. "He doesn't have Aura! Unload and kill the human!"

They took aim and Alastor felt unimaginable pain as bullet after bullet began to riddle him, putting holes all over his clothes and body. He stumbled as the whip was released and he fell to a knee, grunting and groaning in pain as blood began to pool underneath him. _'Why does this hurt?! The explosion earlier didn't even faze me! Make up your mind, body!'_

One of the Faunus walked forward and kicked him onto his back and he didn't have the strength to fight back as Death hovered over his head, his scythe within arm's reach. **"You still have yet to master the energy within you. Your powers are not perfect. Pain can be mitigated with extensive training, though. Now…stand up. It is time for you to show them what an Agent of Death is capable of. Use the Boon granted to you. Make the Agents of the world quake under the power of a TRUE force of Nature!"**

Alastor glared up at the Faunus that leveled his gun at his head with a grin. With all of his strength he reached out to Deaths Scythe and took hold of the wooden shaft. It was in this moment that the Faunus was sent back by a massive burst of power that cratered the area around the Hunter.

Everyone on the docks turned towards the display of dangerous and unimaginable power and to them, it appeared as a pillar of royal purple energy that permeated in a small localized tornado. Through the miasma of power, they saw Alastor's silhouette and the fluttering of his coat as the torrent of power whipped up everything around him. His eyes glowed with dangerous purple power as Deaths Scythe materialized onto the physical plane. As it did, memories began to flood into the Hunters mind and he felt the scythe itself begin to shift and change in his grip.

As the tornado of power dissipated, he let the blade of his new weapon fall to crash against the ground. It was a Great Sword that was easily as big as Alastor stood. Along the entire length of the blade, bones crept towards its cutting edge like a ribcage, while towards the handle, a skull sat that had fangs, not unlike Alastor's own. The weapon was terrifying and the Faunus of the White Fang took a step back, while the three that attacked him were shaking with true fear.

 **-X-X-X-**

Across the world of Remnant, the power released shook the foundation of everything that ever was. One woman in particular sat upon a throne of black and bone. Her unnaturally pale complexion seemed to pale even more as she felt the unintentional display of power. Despite this, she didn't let it show in her expression. She knew this energy, as it had come to her world once before.

' _Death has brought forth a new champion…'_

 **-X-X-X-**

Ozpin was a man of many things. He had been around for a long time, and knew he would remain longer still. He had seen much and very little surprised him. But when he felt it, the miasma of Death, something reawakened within him.

He felt fear.

He calmed his nerves rather quickly and took a sip from his glass of hot chocolate before he stood and went to his window overlooking the city of Vale. By this time, the power had lessened and contained itself, enough for him to fully regain his composure. With another sip, he sighed and stared up to the moon.

' _He has come to mete out his judgement.'_

 **-X-X-X-**

The Faunus with his whip lashed out in fear as he screamed. "What Are You?! Die You Filthy Human!"

Despite the size of the weapon he held, it felt weightless in his hands as Alastor swung it up, clashing against the tip of the metallic whip and creating an upward surge of wind that made everyone stagger before they charged at him with renewed vigor. Juniors' men went back to loading the Dust as fast as they could while the White Fang focused on the Agent of Death before them.

Two came at him quickly, one high and one low and he stabbed the blade of his sword into the ground and lifting himself up before jumping up, kneeing the high Faunus in the chin and twisting, pulling his blade from the ground and swinging it down, crushing the ribbed edge against the low White Fangs back and flattening him into the concrete.

Landing quickly, he swung the blade once more and connected the flat edge with the Faunus he kneed and sent the poor fool flying back into the one with the whip. The rest of the White Fang jumped back and started to open fire, only to realize that no matter how many bullets they hit him with, he didn't react. The weapon in his hands soon began to shift again until now it resembled a sort of heavy cannon with bones and ribs up and down its body. At the barrel of the gun it had another skull, this one resembling a dragons head.

It snapped open like a break action shotgun and by the power of Deaths Energy, Alastor materialized a special cartridge that he shoved into the barrel and quickly snapped it back into place. With a roar, he began to unload shot after shot into the White Fang. Every impact created a small explosion and made the Faunus begin to scatter. Some retreated while others looked for a new vantage point out of his range. To those that stayed, they noticed that the cannon started to overheat and took this chance to start firing again.

Alastor was hit multiple times, and this time he felt them as he stumbled from the force of the shots. Death hovered behind him, watching with apathy as he kept his thoughts to himself. _**'He is wasteful of the energy he possesses. While he has much of it, he has no control and wastes it. He will have to train extensively if he wishes to be a true threat to more than mere grunts. As it is, he would stand no chance against the Agents of this world.'**_

With another roar and surge of power, this one exponentially weaker than the one before, he realized that he didn't have enough power to maintain the transformation of Deaths Scythe and it turned back to its original form. He grunted and let go of the shaft, allowing it to disappear, at least to the rest of the White Fang, and return to Deaths side.

He clenched his fists and the blades of his weapon from Junior sprang forth. New to him, however, the tubes that ran up the armored parts funneled red Dust into them and began to glow with small, almost unnoticeable holes opening up all over the weapon. With this, flames danced forth, coating his arms and destroying the sleeves of his jacket. With a roar, he dashed forward towards the Faunus, making even more flee this seemingly insurmountable opponent.

The one that stayed, however, met him and stopped his advance. This man had red hair and was dressed nicer than the rest. His mask was also different from theirs, more intricate in its design. The weapon he used to stop his attack was a katana-like blade that was red. "You're making a big mistake, Human."

Alastor didn't grant him a response as he pushed him back and went for a swipe at his gut that was blocked in a way that made him feel like this new opponent didn't even care. He kept trying to attack him but found everything useless as this new Faunus sheathed his blade and turned his back. A sign he refused to take him seriously. Alastor became angry and his eyes glowed to show it as he rushed him with a supposedly unavoidable flurry of attacks. However, this man did so without even breaking a sweat. Death took quick notice and realized the problem.

' _ **The boy may have no qualms with fighting normal men and women, but it isn't what he was trained for. He uses tactics that will work against beasts, but any knowledgeable person will easily be able to counter him. Those grunts weren't prepared and he was able to get the drop on them. This one, though. He is very much able to read and counter him without so much as a care in the world.'**_

The Faunus, obviously having enough, grabbed Alastor's wrist, the flames on his arms dissipating and stopping his assault. He used his other hand to shove his still sheathed blade into his gut, knocking the air out of him. He then pulled back and pulled a trigger on the sheathe, making the blade fire halfway out and reconnect with his sternum. Shoving in to fully sheathe it once more, he added to the force and cracked the bone before pulling back doing it again two more times. The final time, he tossed the Hunter to the side and drew his blade to swipe one of his arms off, but was stopped by the superior metal that protected them. He sneered and reared back for a powerful strike, but missed as Alastor rolled out from under him.

The Agent got to his feet and was able to catch his breathe. He still felt his rage at being underestimated, but quickly realized that he didn't stand a chance against his new opponent. "Who…who are you?!" As he spoke, still trying to control his breathing, the man hummed in disapproval, which made Alastor growl and show his fangs to the man, which caught him by surprise. "You are a Faunus…but you fight against us? Hmmm…you are worse than a simple Human. You're a traitor to the Faunus."

Alastor grimaced at the tone the man took and was forced to block a strike he barely saw coming. It was pretty much by pure luck that he was able to in the first place. "I'm no Faunus! I'm a Hunter!" With a burst of adrenal strength, he shoved the Faunus back and the flames once more danced across his arms. He lunged and struck the man in the side, catching him by surprise with his burst of strength and sending him rolling across the docks. He looked to his right to see Juniors' men pulling away and nodded, knowing that the shipment was secured. He turned back just in time to block another shocking blow that sent rubble flying in every direction.

"You won't last long with every member of the White Fang now aware of your traitorous ways! I'll see to it myself that you lay in an unmarked grave! You will fear the name Adam Taurus!"

Adam used more strength behind his next strike in an attempt to cleave through Alastor, but was once more stopped by the defensive armor of the gauntlets. He grimaced and leapt away, sheathing his blade and running before the Hunter could give pursuit.

Alastor glared at the retreating form of Adam, but didn't chase after him. He knew that he couldn't beat him and, as much as it pained him to admit, he was lucky he decided to run. With the shipment on its way to Junior and the White Fang on the retreat, he grunted in pain and fell to his knees, barely noticing Death floating in front of him.

" **Take this as another gift from me."**

He looked shakily and noticed nothing and after a moment he knew what the Reaper was referring to. "Y-you…you made him run, didn't you? Why?"

Death grasped the shaft of his scythe and rubbed his bony fingers along the blade. **"You are still young. You have the training of a Hunter, yes. Those skills will do well against the beasts of this world, but it will not do against its more humanoid foes. You fought like a savage beast when you were pushed into a corner. No sense of tactical awareness. The only openings you gained were because of surprise attacks and bursts of unnatural strength. An opponent like him won't be fooled by such a tactic twice. I also cannot lose an Agent so soon. I bent a few rules and…influenced his decision to run and fight another day. This should hopefully give you time to prepare yourself against opponents like him."**

Alastor hung his head and tried to stand, but found his body not wanting to respond. "So I'm not good enough…"

" **You are still learning. Did you really expect to be a monster on the battlefield from the start? A foolish line of thought. You've trained your life to hunt monsters. Not men. Do not wallow. Grow. You have failed hunts before I'm sure. And from those you began to grow. This is merely an opportunity to grow. Take it as such."**

The Hunter nodded and huffed once more and was able to force himself to stand. He looked over himself and groaned at the fact that his clothes were now ruined. "Damn it…I'm gonna need some more clothes now…hopefully Junior can accommodate. I guess it's time I head back now."

Without another word, the Agent was able to slowly walk off of the docks, following the skid marks the vans tires made to make it back to the bar, leaving Death to look over the aftermath of the battle.

" **Yes…grow and learn. Show the world the power of my Agent."**

 **END:**

 **A New Idea that came across my mind that I hope bears fruit. I do hope that Everyone enjoys this, and if anyone has any ideas for a weapon for Jaune, please feel free to express it. Any constructive criticism is also accepted as it has been some time since I've written anything. Been unnaturally busy, but now I have designated times to write so I hope to get back to everything else that has been sitting in my story library.**

 **R &R**

 **Elemental Shadow Out!**


	2. Chapter 2

**A Hunters Pride  
Chapter Two  
The Order of Things**

As Alastor entered through door of the garage behind his club at least an hour after his men had returned, Junior couldn't help but notice that his clothes were in tatters and he looked like he was beyond worse for wear. Jaune noticed it too and went to see if his new master needed any help but he waved him off, saying that he was fine. Death loomed nearby in the shadows watching the events transpire. He had little need to get involved since the only one that could see him was his Agent.

Junior approached him and held out his hand, which the Agent took and shook lightly as the Bartender poked a thumb back to the men unloading the crates from the truck. "A few of my guys haven't shut up about you since they got back. Said you used some crazy ass type of Semblance to deal with the White Fang. One of them was also talking about how you took a lot of shots to the chest that weren't blocked by Aura. Normally I wouldn't believe it, but seeing as how your clothes look like they're hanging on by a literal thread, they look like they're telling the truth. You got some type of Semblance but you ain't got Aura to protect you? What's that about?"

Alastor ran a hand through his hair and groaned. "I don't know what you're talking about; I just did what I do. And I don't know what Aura is but odds are I ain't got it."

The Broker rolled his eyes and shook his head while crossing his arms. "Bullshit. I ain't one for the more spiritual aspect of the crap, but everything that has a soul has an Aura. It ain't always unlocked but it's there, that's a definite. Here, lemme show ya."

He reached out and put a hand on the Agents shoulder, trying to reach out with his own Aura, but immediately withdrew his hand as he felt like his hand had touched pure white flames. He looked astonished and afraid at the same time while Alastor hadn't moved an inch. Death also seemed intrigued by the goings on and had moved behind his chosen to get a better look. "What the actual fuck? Man…what the hell are you?"

Alastor shrugged before scratching his chin. "I really don't know what you're talking about. I didn't do anything." Junior scrunched his face in irritation while Jaune backed away a little, not wanting to get caught in the crossfire. "You feel…empty. You feel like a Grimm to be honest."

Before Alastor could say he didn't know what a Grimm was, Death whispered, though only he could hear him. **"Grimm are soulless monsters that permeate the lands here on Remnant. They are the embodiment of hate and rage and are fueled only by a desire to kill all things manmade alongside their creators."**

With a quick mental acknowledgement, the young Agent shook his head. "I ain't a Grimm. I just have a different source of my power. Call it magic or whatever you want, but it ain't Aura."

Junior scoffed. "Magic is just a myth. I'll admit, you don't have an Aura, but I doubt it's magic. You're probably some sort of Atlas experiment and don't even know it. Whatever, though. I don't give a shit because you held up your end of the deal. You got me my entire shipment here intact. I told ya that if you did it then you'd have an offer waiting for you. I'm gonna have to apologize, but unfortunately you're gonna have to wait a minute on that. I didn't actually expect you to get it all back here. I'll get everything together and send it to your Scroll for you to look over. Gimme your number."

The Bartender had already pulled out his own Scroll and waited, but Alastor simply stood there with his arms crossed looking like he didn't know what he was talking about. This made him groan as he rubbed the bridge of his nose. "You gotta be shitting me right now…you ain't got a Scroll? Y'know what? Forget it…we'll do it the old fashioned way and I'll make sure you get outfitted with some STANDARD tech. _Damn bumpkin…_ "

Jaune walked up beside Alastor as Junior walked away and the Hunter rubbed the back of his head, looking positively sheepish. "Damn…didn't think I was missing that much. Why didn't you jump in?"

The blonde looked surprised. "Was I supposed to? He looked kinda mad so I backed off."

Alastor sighed and rolled his eyes before waving him off and the blonde backed away before following after Junior back into the club. Death hovered over to the door and seemed to be contemplative. **"You haven't been here very long and you've already acquired a strange collection of acquaintances. That alone speaks volumes of your character."**

The Agent huffed and leaned against one of the crates, looking around to make sure that Junior's men had already made themselves scarce. "I'm not really sure if I should take that as a compliment or not. Regardless, what do you think I should do? Think I should go through with this whole thing? Working for the guy?"

The Reaper gave a motion that could only be described as a shrug that confused Demor. **"That decision is yours alone to make. I told you that you must follow your instincts. However, if it is my objective opinion you want, I will say that the man seems to be skilled in creating weapons. Not unlike forge masters of your world, though perhaps not as fast as their…unrealistically fast techniques. It makes sense that you Hunters are constantly sharpening your blades with that speedy craftsmanship. He is also well connected, if he is telling the truth about being as good an information broker as he says. He can supply weapons and information. With that, you have relatively solid ground to stand on. Though, I think I know what it is that worries you."**

Alastor nodded and crossed his arms. "I know for a fact that he is a criminal. Middle of the night, dark docks, shifty crew. The only LEGITIMATE business the guy has is obviously his club. And even then I'm not entirely sure. I don't really wanna drag my name through the mud already. I just got here."

Death nodded and had moved to take an appraising look at the dust crystals that his Agent had worked to secure. **"A fair point, but perhaps you don't have to associate with him completely. Merely offer a specific service. One that is…how most people say, on the up-and-up."**

Alastor raised a brow at this. "So essentially, contract myself in a manner that doesn't associate me with his crude dealings…but what would I do?"

" **You only just became my Agent. Before that, you were an excellent Hunter. Based on my observations, you were one of the best, in fact. And this world is full of corruption. A corruption that must be dealt with."**

He rolled his eyes and made a face that Death couldn't see. "I thought we already went over that back at the docks. I'm shit against peo…oooooooooooh! The Grimm!"

Death nodded and picked up a red crystal that seemed to react to his touch strangely. Within it, the red seemed to darken until it matched the color of Alastor's own Death Energy. **"Grimm are constantly attacking settlements outside of the kingdoms. If you were to offer your services as a mercenary from time to time, I'm sure that you could bring in a respectable amount of money and in that time, you could create a name for yourself while learning how to handle human opponents. That and you must follow through on your promise for the boy, Arc."**

Alastor groaned and rubbed his head. "Oh man this is giving me such a headache…why can't things be as simple as they were in Astera?! Ya wake up, you eat some grub and if the need arose, you went out and fucked some monster up. This is so complicated!"

As Death continued to observe the Dust crystal absorb his power, he offered more insight to his Agent. **"You have grown complacent in your simple life. Besides, it really isn't as complicated as you're making it out to be. If you don't want to associate with him then don't."**

The Agent just clutched his head and slumped down onto the floor. "I guess you're right, but then what about Jaune? I know I can handle being out in the rough and tough, but he doesn't really look the type…"

It was at this moment that Junior came back in with a few papers and a pen. "Alright man, I got some shit printed off for you. I'll let you look over it and we can negotiate the contract itself."

Alastor lazily took the forms and scanned through them and was surprised to see more than a simple 'I Own Your Ass' type contract and one that denoted many things that he just kinda skimmed over. One thing that particularly caught his eye was his right to turn down any job he didn't want to take part in. "Yo…Junior, what is all this? Ain't I supposed to be just another Grunt?"

The Bartender looked away for a moment before sitting back against the van. "That was the plan before, yeah, but while you were gone, the kid and I talked a bit about how things were going to work if the job was a success."

This made the Hunter confused and Junior knew the look well. He cleared his throat before motioning to the paper. "Turns out that apprentice of yours has a bit of a silver tongue for negotiating. He figured that you weren't the type who wanted to work with criminals, or for them. He figured a type of partnership out between the two of us. You and I, I mean. Kid's good, but he ain't old enough for signing legal documents yet. Read it over and come to me when you make up your mind. The kid is at the bar hanging out with two of my best. Makes fast friends, that one. Then again, it's not often they meet someone near their age that isn't scared of them."

Junior walked off, leaving Alastor to his own devices as he skimmed over the papers. He realized something as he went on. It wasn't a simple contract. Junior was loaning him one of his old buildings to use as a…storefront? Death, who apparently had read through it faster than he ever could, spoke up. **"It would seem that Junior and you are to be partners in some sort of Grimm-slaying business. Though, what I don't understand is why he would bother, since people put in requests with the kingdoms themselves. Also…I can't quite put my finger on it…but it feels derivative for some reason. Hm…it matters little, regardless."**

That made the Agent cup his chin as he stood with a huff and walked back into the club to see Jaune flanked by two Lolita looking girls, one dressed in white, and the other in red and black, who seemed to be enamored with teasing him, if his red face and nervous chuckles were anything to go by. They looked a little older than him. About two years if he had to guess. He approached Junior with a quizzical look. "So…I get what this is talking about, for the most part at least. But don't requests for Hunters go through the Kingdoms to be processed? Why would anyone go to a shop to contract a Hunter?"

Jaune poked his head out from between the two girls as the red and black one twirled his shoulder length hair like a toy. "That was my idea actually. See, I said before that I come from a small village. Normally we can handle ourselves pretty well. We have guns and a few people know how to use a sword. But whenever we need an actual Huntsman, our requests aren't always processed fast enough and…well…we end up losing people to Grimm. With a store dedicated to accepting and carrying out Grimm Extermination Missions, people could feel a little safer. Plus, instead of a machine, they'd get to deal with an actual person. I think that alone would go a long way. I know I hate machines."

Alastor grinned at his apprentice before looking at Junior. "Alright, so that makes a bit of sense. So, I wanna hear it from you. What're the terms?"

Junior rolled his eyes. "Just read the contract!"

He shook his head as he scooted the papers over to him. "Paper ain't people. I wanna hear the terms from your lips. Nothing else."

The Bartender groaned, while Death went back to admiring the well-kept wall of alcohol. "Fine. The contract is simple. I'll be loaning you a building in the middle of the city along with a vehicle to get around in, seeing as you probably ain't got one. The business is going to be used as a front to make a good name for us both, you see? I can't be doing just clubs and thieving. If I get my name wrapped up in a solid, helpful business then it'll look good for me. We're gonna be splitting profits evenly, Twenty-Five Percent to you, Twenty-Five to me, Twenty-Five to the kid, and Twenty-Five is going to be going towards starting a little charity."

This caught the two Lolita's by surprise as the red and black one spoke up. "You want to start a charity? Like, for real? That's definitely different for you."

Junior narrowed his eyes while crossing his arms. "Shut it Miltia. And stop your damn laughing Melanie! I'm trying to get some good will under my name here!"

Alastor tried to find it in the contract and hummed when he did. "Ok, I see it, but why a charity? And what's up with Jaune getting Twenty-Five Percent in on this anyways? You just said he's too young for a contract!"

The Bartender poured a few drinks, sliding one over to the Agent and a soda to Jaune. "I grew up an orphan. Long story short, I hate the state of orphanages. I figured kill two birds with one stone, I get good karma, and some kids get a better life. And I know he's too young, but he came up with the idea of the shop. It only seems fair that he gets a bit of the money. It'll help him later on in life."

The Hunter nodded. He knew what it was like having no parents. He got lucky when Caligra took him in, but still, he knew that pain. "Alright, so we have a shop, a charity, and a partnership. What else we got going on?"

Junior sipped his drink and leaned against the bar while Melanie and Miltia were pulling Jaune away to dance. "Hey! He ain't legal yet! Keep it PG! Anyways…I'm also going to be offering you and the kid my services in building him a worthwhile weapon while you train him. He said he was going to try and get into Beacon Academy when he turns Seventeen. Personally, I'd have him come here and be a better bouncer for me, but hey, it's his life. Huh…he's actually a pretty good dancer…"

Alastor turned in his seat to see Jaune surprisingly breaking out of his little shell and working the dance floor pretty much like he owned it. He took notice of the fact that he had nearly perfect footwork. "Damn…he is. He'd probably do really well with Dual Blades. Quick on his feet…hmmm. I'm not sure, but either way I'm gonna be teaching him how to use all of my weapons. I don't know how I'm going to teach him how to use an Insect Glaive, though…ugh…back to being complicated. Anyways, so…I think, all things considered, we have a deal."

The Broker smirked and raised his glass in a small cheer. "Good to hear. I gotta say…it's gonna be nice to have something good to my name for once. So…whatcha wanna call the shop? Junior's Pest Control?"

Deaths Agent chuckled and sipped his own drink, taking in the sharp burn that hit his throat. "Ya know, I don't really know. But if I'm fighting monsters I ain't gonna be calling it Pest Control. I also don't want to put anyone's name in it. They'll know who owns it, don't worry…"

Junior shrugged as he looked to the dance floor at the Malachite twins and Jaune. They all seemed to be having a really good time until Alastor spoke up. "Hey, Junior…"

He spared him a look with a raised eyebrow and noticed the smirk on the Hunters face. "I think I got a name for the shop!"

 **-X-X-X-**

Alastor sighed in relief as he sat down at his desk. With the headache he had, he was happy that the sign in front of the store was turned off. He had just returned from a job outside of Atlas and he was understandably tired. It had been a little under three years since he had first come to Remnant and he and Junior had entered their little partnership. So far, he couldn't really complain. He had decent money coming in; a roof over his and his apprentices head, and his training had been coming along nicely.

After Death had explained that he needed training in fighting people, he had enlisted the help of the Malachite twins, with the okay from Junior, to help him and Jaune train in Hand-to-Hand. It wasn't much, but it was a start for him, and in three years, he was confident enough to say that he was at least passable. More often than not, his Hunter training bled through into his fighting and he once more became predictable. Normally, it only happened when he was getting really into the fight.

Jaune, on the other hand, got very special treatment from the twins. While they admired him for his almost blunt honesty, they were honest right back in pointing out that he was a shit fighter. He had the footwork, but none of the application. It was with this revelation to the blonde that he took to his training like a bat out of hell. With his progression, the twins had to seek out an old friend of theirs in order to help both him and themselves grow. She didn't speak much…or at all for that matter. Jaune had noticed that she resembled his favorite type of ice cream, actually.

This friend, whenever she had the time, would stop by and train them. Well…it was less training and more torture, if Alastor was being honest. A Hunter he was…but that girl was something else.

Now, though, that time had passed. Alastor was to the point where he felt comfortable and was starting on learning how to control the powers he had gained from Death. It took some convincing, but the Reaper had finally conceded and agreed to teach his Agent how to harness his powers simply to shut him up.

He smiled at the fond memory of making Death itself irritated with him. Though, it happened so often that it was less of a memory and more an expectation. He chuckled and kicked his feet up onto his desk while looking around his, Junior's and Jaune's shop. The shop itself was rather small, being that there wasn't much to do in the office except paperwork. The place was three hundred and twenty square feet with the door at the front of the shop being at the center of the wall. Two large panes of glass flanked the door with various successful job contracts posted to garner some sort of publicity for the shop. His desk sat near the back wall, but stayed perfectly symmetrical with the door with two chair for clients in front of it. Behind it on the wall, he had many pieces of Grimm bone armor along with their masks mounted. His greatest conquest, an exceedingly ancient Death Stalker, had its stinger propped up against the wall. He had yet to figure out what he was going to do with it.

He himself had gone through changes in the last three year as well. He had decided to cut his hair so that it spiked up with little effort. At the moment, he wore his Hunter gear, having just gotten back and deciding not to change yet. He wore his weapons he had gotten from Junior in their stowed form, which left his arms bare since he wore a very short sleeved tight black shirt. On his chest sat a chest plate that didn't look like much, but reacted with his weapon when it deployed, creating a chest plate that extended up into a full helmet. His shirt was tucked into black pants that had their own armor that would also react with his weapon and they were tucked into his boots.

As he closed his eyes, he was about to drift off until he heard the bell jingle as his shop door opened. "Master? You're back sooner than expected!"

He peeked through one of his eyes and saw Jaune walk in with his weapon in tow. It was a large black case, six feet tall, a foot and a half wide and half a foot thick that was strapped to his back. On it was a key pad and a hatch at the top, with hinges all over the case. On his right hand was an armored glove that covered his entire arm with tough armor. He wore the same type of shirt as his master, but instead opted for blue jeans and simple sneakers. He had his own form of armor in the form of his ridiculously massive aura. There were times when Alastor envied him for this natural defense, but assuaged it by telling himself that with his Death Energy, he'd be able to become even more powerful.

His apprentice was flanked by the Malachite twins, who each wore their normal clothes. They obviously cared little for change in the time the Hunter had known them. "Yeah, I dealt with this salty chick who didn't really like that her General had outsourced Grimm Extermination to me. I was supposed to stick around for debriefing but I caught the first Bullhead out of there because of her. Ironwood won't be happy, but I got the job done, no problem. What about you three? I didn't think Junior would actually let them go with you."

Jaune heaved and set his case down near the entrance with a loud thud before stretching his back. Melanie and Miltia both rubbed separate parts of his back, making him blush and try to focus his attention elsewhere. "Well, they were pretty adamant about wanting to come with me. Melanie was actually the one that convinced him. I think he may be scared of her…"

Melanie smirked and flipped her hair like she was the lady of the hour. "Of course he is. Miltia is too soft with him. He'll do whatever I say. And so will you…won't you Jaune?"

The last part was spoken with such seductive undertones that Death, who hovered in the corner in darkness, was sure he would've mistaken her for a succubus if he didn't know better. Jaune wasn't faring too well though and was about to collapse until Alastor sighed and stood up. "Don't go messing with the kid; you know he can't handle it."

Melanie shrugged and grinned, though she continued to rub his aching back. The Hunter started to take of his weapon, which he had named Sapphire Star; since Jaune had told him that it was customary for Huntsman to name their weapons. At least, it was in the current generation. Not wanting to be pestered about it, he did so and named it after the star that adorned the fleets' banners back in Astera. "Now, Jaune…I know you're getting excited about the entrance exams for Beacon coming up. You've got three days, if I remember correctly from that little countdown you got going. Your application was already accepted, so you're going to have to take the next few days and rest."

Jaune hung off of every word. To be honest, he had actually forgotten the entrance exams were so close. He was lucky they had finished with their job when they did! "Of course Master!"

Popping his neck, Alastor set Sapphire Star on his desk and eyed the Twins. "That means NO strenuous activities, you two. The last thing we need is him failing his initiation because he was too 'sore'. Celebrate after he gets in."

It was the twins' turns to blush as they retracted their hands from Jaune, deigning to put them behind their backs, and he stood up a little straighter. The Hunter rolled his shoulders and did a few stretches while looking at Jaune's weapon. "So…how's it working out for you? Junior said that it might be a little slow, but this is more state of the art tech is what he also said. First of its kind, apparently. Getting the hang of it?"

Jaune gleamed and stepped towards the case while rubbing it affectionately. "It works like a dream! The slowest it goes is when I'm trying to bring out the Heavy Bowgun and the Hammer. Everything else it pretty quick, actually. The fastest combination to bring out is the Dual Blades."

Alastor hummed his approval as he sat back down after his stretches. He was proud to say that Jaune had come along nicely under his tutelage. He learned techniques and theory at an alarming rate. Lately, he was hard-pressed to find something to teach him, apart from the morals of the Hunters themselves. He wasn't as much of an expert with each weapon as his master, but he was certainly getting there. Learning sixteen weapon styles at once was a harsh expectation, and he was proud to say that his apprentice had done it in three years. All while learning Hand-to-hand as well. Jaune had also named his weapon. It was named after the shop that he partially owned.

Grimm's Fable.

"That's good to hear. Junior had thought there would be complications with a weapon that had sixteen forms, but it's nice to know that he was overreacting."

Jaune smiled. "I wouldn't say he was overreacting. He was just being cautious. Also, just wanted to let you know, while you were gone, he came by looking for you."

Alastor narrowed his eyes. He knew exactly who his apprentice was talking about. Ozpin. After a chance meeting at a charity event, thrown by himself and Junior to raise awareness for the cities orphanages, Ozpin had somehow recognized him. He wasn't subtle in pointing out that he knew he was Deaths Agent of Balance. It was at that moment that the Reaper had told him that he was staring at the Agent of Order.

Ever since then, he had been trying to get Alastor on his side. The Agent refused every time, but that didn't change the fact that Ozpin was a very persistent man. "What was it about this time?"

The blonde pulled out a picture and handed it to his master. It was a picture of a pale girl, nearly as pale as he was. She had silver eyes, black hair with red tips and also wore a gothic Lolita type dress. He raised a brow at this. _'What is it with people and these dresses? They're not exactly combat worthy. Then again…I don't have Aura like they do.'_

"Okay, so what, this girl important or something?" Jaune nodded. "He said that he was bringing her into Beacon Academy this year…even though she's only fifteen…"

Miltia giggled before patting him on the shoulder. "Don't worry, Jauney. We're sure you're better than she is."

Alastor grinned at the comment, knowing right away that his apprentice was irate at the fact that she was getting in two years early. "Alright, but what does that have to do with me?"

Jaune sighed. "He said that, if you were willing, he wanted to talk to you about that in person."

The Hunter rolled his eyes in irritation. "Of course he does. Might as well get this done with. If I don't then he'll come here and we'll never get him to leave."

He stood up once more and grabbed his jacket. This one was much smaller and drew less attention than the trench coat he had been given when he first got to Remnant. It was a simple brown leather jacket that did well to keep him warm. Walking out to the street, he was quickly followed by Death as he made his way to the Bullhead Transit station. **"I must say, Ozpin is doing quite a bit to try and get you on his side. You don't seem too pleased about it either."**

Alastor shook his head as he wormed his way through the midday crowd. _'I'm not. Ever since he found out that I was your Agent he's been hounding me nonstop about helping him with this Salem chick. I know, it's technically my job, but I want to do it on my own terms, you know?'_

The Reaper did something then that they both had gotten used to and merged himself with Alastor, so as to be able to feel the world around him without killing everything by actually entering the physical plane. Alastor himself didn't quite understand it, but he never questioned it. His scythe also merged with him, the two combined forces, making the Hunter exude an aura of death. It made people that passed him uncomfortable. He remembered when they first had done this, as Death wanted to speak to Ozpin firsthand during one of their encounters, but instead decided to keep his existence here a secret. The last thing either of them wanted was for the Agent of Order to try and get Death on his side.

" _ **You've been in this world for three years already and have done little in the way of ACTUALLY being my Agent. You could at least help out and deal with some of this woman's forces. She is upsetting the balance by accumulating so much power to her side."**_

The Hunter gained a thoughtful expression as they came near the station. _'But…wouldn't that tilt the scales too much? I mean…two Agents against some random evil chick? Doesn't seem very fair to me.'_

" _ **Not particularly. There have been foes in the past that could stand up to Agents of the Gods. This Salem could very well be one of those people."**_

Alastor grumbled under his breath as he boarded the Bullhead heading to Beacon. There weren't many people on this one. The only one that really stood out to him was an abnormally tall man with green hair and seemingly opaque glasses. His constant twitching was setting the Hunter on edge. _'Man…I really hit the lottery here, huh? My skills against human targets are still pretty subpar even after training with the twins and that ice cream girl. And there's this Salem chick who apparently can match the power of an Agent. Why did you send me here again?'_

Death glared a hole in his Agent, or at least, he would've if he had eyes. Or if he was visible to him at the moment. Needless to say he could feel the deities' mirth. _**"You know that I had no hand in choosing your destination. It could very well mean that this world was the one most in need of your assistance. Either way, why are you complaining about your JOB?! You agreed to all this in the first place!"**_

The Hunter rolled his eyes and sighed. _'Look, I'm not complaining. I appreciate the second chance and these last three years have been one hell of a fun time. Guess I've just gotten used to doing things when I wanna do them. But…you're right. It's my job. I shouldn't be getting mad over this. I'm sorry.'_

" _ **You're apologizing? Oh this is rich! If only I had one of these Scrolls I'd be able to record this momentous occasion! HA! Alastor Demor finally learns to respect his elders!"**_

Alastor gained a tick on his head as he got angry. "Shut It You Floating Bag of Bones! I Apologize All The Time! It's YOU That Needs To Learn Some Goddamn Respect!"

As he huffed and puffed, he noticed his outburst and slowly turned his head to see the barely occupied Bullhead had all eyes on him. The twitching man sipped from his thermos at a scary pace as he stared at the Agent. He then looked sheepish and rubbed the back of his head with a nervous smile. "Uh…heh…sorry. Didn't mean to scream like that! Won't happen again!"

He turned back to the opening with wide eyes and a straight face, watching as they began to set down. He wanted off this Bullhead and he wanted off NOW. The moment they touched down he was out of the craft and was already walking towards the giant statue that sat in front of the school. He figured he would have to navigate his way around the school to find the Headmasters office, but luckily for him, or unluckily, the Agent of Order was waiting for him with his mug in hand and a small smile on his face.

As Alastor approached, Ozpin took note of the fact that he was giving off a very powerful and deathly aura. He knew it was some form of a power play, but in his gaining age, he cared little for petty games. "Mr. Demor, I'm glad that you decided to come see me! I was wondering if I was going to have to visit your shop again."

The Agent had to school his features, remembering the conversation he had JUST had with Death. He stood up straighter and nodded. "My apprentice told me that you visited while I was away to Atlas. He showed me the girl and said you wished to see me in person. As much as it begrudges me, I am honor bound as a Hunter to at least listen to what you have to say."

Ozpin kept his smile as they walked into the massive school; he was leading them through the hallways, students giving them a wide berth to keep away from the man that exuded death. As they came to an elevator, Ozpin pressed the button and spoke while they waited. "I am glad you will listen. Perhaps this time you might even be swayed to join with me against Salem."

Alastor rolled his eyes as they entered the elevator and began the ride up. "Don't talk about 'swaying' me. I'm an Agent just like you. We have our role to fulfil. You are an Agent of Order. I am Balance. If need be I could very easily stand against you. As it is, she is possibly more powerful than an Agent. That and I don't really wanna stand in the way of peace."

The Headmaster nodded and sipped from his mug. "You are not wrong. Salem is extremely powerful. And I believe that the girl, Ruby Rose, could very well be the key to stopping her."

As the Elevator stopped, they stepped immediately into Ozpin's office. It was rather large and sparsely decorated. "You think a little girl can stop someone who can beat Agents? Sorry if I don't believe you."

He sat at his desk and sat his Scroll on the surface, bringing up footage of the girl, Ruby, stopping a robbery. It did little to convince Alastor or Death. The latter, though, was happy to see that his weapon of choice was being used, albeit in a nonlethal manner. Alastor, on the other hand, noticed that the men getting knocked around were Junior's. He made a note to bring it up with the Broker later. "So she has some skill with that scythe of hers. That doesn't mean she can stand up to Salem. You're going to have to have more than that to convince me, Oz."

The man nodded and brought up the picture of Ruby once more. "You'll notice that she has silver eyes. This alone might not be enough to convince you, but in the past, Silver Eyed Warriors had a great power. They could kill Grimm with but a single glance. Their eyes were very powerful and at one point they were numerous. She is the last of her kind."

Alastor's intrigue was piqued. "Ok, so you say that she can kill them just by looking at them? If I had better control of my powers, I'm pretty sure I could do the same thing."

"Yes, that may be true, but you are also, as you stated, an Agent of Balance. You may not always act in the interests of the world."

This made the Hunter angry and he wasn't afraid to show it as he slammed a fist down on the Headmasters desk. "That's a crock of shit and you know it! Balance works in the interests of the world at all times."

Ozpin raised a brow and set his mug down, setting his hands in his lap. "So you would, if necessary, stand against me?"

Alastor narrowed his eyes and glared death at the man. "Are you going to give me a reason to?"

He smiled and held up his hands lightly before taking another sip of his cocoa. "I wouldn't even dream of it. I wish for the world to be at peace, without Grimm to worry about. Where Human and Faunus can live together without worry."

The Hunter settled his glare and sighed before taking a seat across from the Headmaster. "Look, I don't want to fight. The last thing I need right now is another headache so just tell me what you want."

Ozpin nodded and picked his scroll back up before sending information to Alastor's own. Despite the buzz in his pocket, he made no motion to grab it. The Headmaster looked confused as the Hunter shook his head. "Nope. I wanna hear it from your lips. I ain't reading shit."

This made Oz hum as he set his Scroll back down. "Very well then. What I sent you was an official request for the employees of Grimm's Fable to come to Beacon. Your apprentice, Jaune Arc, is already coming here as a student and will be taking a part in the Entrance Exams in the next few days. I would request your own services as an instructor during Ruby's tenure here as a student. There are also two others that I have noticed working with Jaune on multiple occasions. I was wondering if they are also your employees."

Alastor shook his head. "They ain't mine. They work for Junior and he just lets them go with Jaune if they have the time. I doubt he'd let them go to a Hunter Academy. Let alone Beacon. They aren't always on the up-and-up, you see."

Ozpin nodded sagely. "I'm well aware that Mr. Xiong often works on the wrong side of the law, but rarely, if ever, does he participate in anything truly dastardly. He is more of an information broker than anything else. I believe he may be willing to work with us so long as he has some incentive. It is well known that he is the benefactor of Grimm's Fable. The multiple charity events have also painted him in a somewhat saintly manner. His mannerisms have changed and I believe, that if I offer him a clean slate, he would be willing to drop the criminal acts altogether and allow the twins to attend Beacon."

The Hunter seemed to be genuinely thinking about it, but as he did, his Scroll began to ring with a familiar tone. It was his apprentice. Answering quickly, he spoke just as fast. "What's up, Jaune?"

" _We need your help, NOW!"_

The panicked tone caught both him and Ozpin of guard. Alastor sat up straighter. "What's going on?!"

" _There's some blonde chick trashing Junior's club! Melanie and Miltia are already on their way! Junior asked me to call you over! I'm on my way too!"_

There was a click and Alastor stood up. "We'll finish this later. I gotta get to Junior. Goddammit…I just wanted to rest today!"

Ozpin stood as well, grabbing his cane. "I will accompany you. I would like to speak with Junior myself to offer him this chance."

The Hunter made a face but turned and started to head towards the elevator. "Whatever, do what you want. I gotta make sure this chick doesn't destroy the place!"

 **-X-X-X-**

Ozpin and Alastor stood at the entrance of Junior's Club and couldn't help but notice the doors were destroyed. Walking inside, the Hunter noticed that Junior's men were getting their asses handed to them by a blonde bombshell. Jaune and the twins were standing near Junior, waiting for when she would eventually turn her attention to them. She was decimating them with pure hand-to-hand and Alastor couldn't help but admire it until Ozpin spoke. "Ah…Yang Xiao-Long. I believe I will be able to calm this situation before it escalates too much."

Death had left Alastor's body and was watching Ozpin as he walked down the stairs, his cane clacking the entire way. The girl, Yang, was none the wiser as she punched a grunt so hard he soared passed Ozpin and right into the Hunter, who caught him midflight. The man was dazed and Alastor rolled his eyes and dropped him on the ground. **"You could've been a little gentler."**

' _And you could've…I…shut up."_

" **No comeback? I'm shocked. You're off your game, lately."**

' _Shut It Rattle Bones!'_

Death chuckled, though it sounded dark as Ozpin tapped his cane loud enough to get the girls attention. "Ms. Xiao-Long, would you care to explain to me why a soon-to-be student of Beacon Academy is causing such a ruckus mere days before the beginning of her first semester?"

This made the girl and everyone around her stop and stare at him and he merely smirked. "Now…I believe you owe Mr. Xiong an apology. Or am I going to have to call your uncle? Or, gods forbid, your father?"

The bombshell, who moments before was tearing through Junior's men like a honed blade, gained a terrified look on her face at the mention of her father. Turning quickly to face the Broker, she spoke her apology. "I'm sorry! Please don't tell dad I'm out here!"

Ozpin smiled and shook his head. "I won't, but I have business with Mr. Xiong, so I would appreciate it if you would please head home. After all, you're going to need your energy for the Entrance Exams."

She nodded and was off like lightning before Junior could give chase. She rushed passed Alastor without so much as a single word, leaving the club trashed and in desperate need of repairs. Ozpin looked to Junior and gave a slight bow. "Mr. Xiong, a pleasure to meet the benefactor of Grimm's Fable."

That made Junior a little uncomfortable as the twins and Jaune left his side to go and make themselves drinks. "Uh…yeah…hey, Alastor, what's he doing here?"

The Hunter walked up to the bar; passing Junior's waking men as they slowly started to clean up the mess that Yang had made of the club. "Oz here has an offer for you. I think you'll want to hear it for yourself."

The Headmaster approached Junior with a smile on his face as the Bartender poured drinks for the three of them. "Mr. Xiong, I would like to extend an olive branch of sorts. I am well aware, as are most of your clients, that you were the helping hand behind Grimm's Fable and the Grimm's Fable Charity. In light of these developments over the past few years, I would like to offer something to you and the twins."

This made Junior perk up slightly as he sipped his whiskey. "Something for all three of us? What, like the key to the city or something?"

Ozpin shook his head, his smile still in place. "Unfortunately I cannot offer something of that magnitude. But, what I can do is pull a few strings. I would like to offer the twins a chance to attend Beacon, and in return for their participation on your part, I would offer you a clean slate with nothing to tie you to your criminal doings, under the stipulation that you leave them behind entirely."

The Broker had widened eyes and saw the Malachite twins come up after hearing about them being recommended for Beacon. Though they were almost two years older than the normal first years, there was nothing saying they couldn't go, so long as they were properly trained. Melanie herself didn't really care, but Miltia seemed giddy at the thought. Jaune also seemed to like the idea of going to Beacon with faces that he knew. And was rather fond of…

Taking in all of the faces before him, Ozpin's smile only grew. "It would seem that you are rather taken with the idea. I take it that that is a yes?"

Junior shook his head to clear his thoughts and stared into his drink. "A clean slate would be awesome…but how would I get Roman and his crazy boss off my back? I don't help them; gods only know what they would do to me."

"If protection is something you are worried about, then perhaps I could sweeten the deal, so to speak?" Alastor noticed the glint in Ozpin's eyes. In his three years he had seen many types of people. It was his knowledge that Ozpin was an Agent and knowing what kind of person he was that he knew what was going on.

Manipulation.

It always seemed strange to him that Ozpin could get almost anyone to follow him. The only one that Alastor knew of that would actively deny the man was himself. It was after a year and a half of dealing with him, both privately and publicly, that Death had actually told him what was going on.

Ozpin was a gifted man. He was smart, charismatic and very powerful to boot. But even with his silver tongue, there was something more to it. Death hadn't been sure if it was developed over time, or if it was granted by his governing deity, but he made it known to his Agent that Ozpin had the ability to influence the decisions of those he spoke to.

With narrowed eyes, Alastor grabbed the Headmaster by the shoulder and smiled at everyone. "Excuse us for a moment; I need to talk with Oz about something real quick."

Leading the man away from the group, he leaned in close to his face with a scowl. "I don't know what you think you're doing, but leave your filthy magic out of this. If Junior agrees, he does it on his own. I'm not going to have you making their choices for them, you hear me!"

Ozpin's smile had all but left his face as he pushed his glasses up slightly before taking a sip from his drink from Junior. "Interesting…I was sure that I was being rather inconspicuous about it. Though, I must say I wasn't influencing them; I was merely planting positive thoughts. Besides, you know as well as I do, that having a man as knowledgeable as Junior on our side would be an invaluable resource."

The way he spoke struck a chord with the Hunter as he balled his fists so tightly that his claws drew blood. Death watched from the sidelines as Alastor seemed ready to fight the Headmaster, getting looks from his friends at the bar and the henchmen that moved around them. It was in that moment that he hovered closer behind his Agent. **"Be careful. As of this moment he is not our enemy. Salem is. His methods are certainly questionable and easily less than savory, but what he does, at this moment, serves the balance. Defend your friends, yes, but do not fight him. Even you must know…you will not win as you are."**

Alastor's eyes stayed narrowed as he heard the Reaper whisper in his ear. Ozpin, on the other hand, gained a smile once more. "I apologize, I didn't mean to sound so callous about using them like pawns. They are people, just as you and I are. Whenever I think about Salem, though, I often lose sight of certain details. I will not manipulate them any further. Now…can we return?"

The Hunter remained in his face before he sighed and backed down, stepping out of Ozpin's way and allowing him to pass. _'I don't like him…everything about him sets me on edge…'_

Death stayed alongside him as he followed the other Agent to the bar. **"I understand. It is times like this that are certainly hard for people like you. He is no true threat, though. He wants the world at peace, and for the sake of balance, that is what must happen. However…"**

Alastor stopped for a moment as he looked at his employer. Death seemed extremely serious and over the past three years, he had learned to take all of his advice and warnings to heart. **"That man doesn't seem to care who he puts in the line of fire. I would suggest you take his offer, if only to make sure that this girl, Ruby Rose, or any other student at his school, does not simply become another name on a report."**

The Hunter grinned a bit and raised a brow at the Reaper. _'The Grim Reaper has a heart, huh? Strange…I thought you were just bones and an oversized bathrobe.'_

Death merely turned away and hovered off, leaving Alastor to chuckle to himself as he joined the others at the bar. Apparently they had been waiting for him as Ozpin continued where he left off. "Anyways, as I was saying before Mr. Demor pulled me to the side, if protection is what you are worried about, then I would like to offer you the same thing I offered to your friend, Mr. Xiong."

Junior looked confused before Alastor spoke up. "He wants me to be an instructor at Beacon. What he wants me to teach, I have no idea, though."

This made both of them look at the Headmaster and the man simply kept smiling as he drank his own whiskey. "I would like you to take part in the Combat Course as a subsidiary for Professor Goodwitch, Mr. Demor. And you, Mr. Xiong, I would appreciate if you would be willing to work alongside Professor Port. He is our foremost expert on the Grimm that lurk Remnant, but I believe you have something to offer beyond that."

"And that would be?"

Ozpin set his glass down. The twins and Jaune had longs since lost interest in the conversation, saying that it was boring, before going to help the grunts clean up. "He is a genius, of that there is no doubt. But he seems to have a problem keeping the attention of his students. He is very, how to put this…rather droll…you yourself have a certain charisma about you and given that you are the benefactor of Grimm's Fable, I believe that you would be able to offer more insight when he goes off into his own world."

Junior looked at the man oddly. "I own the building that Grimm's Fable operates out of. I don't handle the actual fighting. Honestly, Alastor would be better off in a class like that. He's the one that actually deals with Grimm."

The Headmaster nodded and eyed Alastor, though the Hunter couldn't quite make out what the look entailed. "While that is true, Mr. Demor lacks certain…tact when dealing with people. He is rather gruff and would be better suited working with students in an environment that requires less of a sophisticated touch. That and I believe he would sooner try to fight Port rather than actually help him."

Alastor growled at Ozpin, who merely smiled back while Junior chuckled. "Yeah, but you gotta admit, Grimm's Fable gets business because he's a face that they can trust. He doesn't mince words and tells people the truth. He may be blunt and inappropriate sometimes, but he's still a bit better with people than I am."

Ozpin sighed. "Then would you like to teach the Combat Course? Of course, I would have to make sure that you have the substantial skills to teach beside Glynda."

Junior looked to be contemplating it, and then the Hunter spoke up. "No matter how you look at it, it's a fresh start Junior. You don't have to leave EVERYTHING behind. And as much as I really don't like to admit it, Ozpin can keep you out of the fire when it comes to Roman."

The Bartender hummed slightly before nodding. "Sure…I'll do it. I've gotten better over the years, so I think I got a few things I could teach those brats. I can just leave the club to one of the guys. They know how to run the place."

Ozpin smiled and then looked at Alastor who sighed. "Yeah, yeah, I'll do it too. For the girl, not for you." Ozpin nodded with his smile still in place as he began to walk away. "I'll send you both the necessary paperwork through your Scrolls. The semester starts after the Entrance Exams after the weekend. I will be sure to introduce you both to your partners before then. You both have a good night, and be safe."

As the Headmaster left, both Alastor and Junior slumped and finished off their drinks. They stood in silence before Alastor spoke up. "What're we gonna do about Grimm's Fable?"

Junior shrugged. "For now we can have a few of the better men man the shop. I'll make sure that you or I handle the actual clients somehow, but we can use them for the actual culling. They may suck total ass against the White Fang, but you've already seen what they can do to Grimm. If something comes up that they can't handle, then you'll just have to tell Ozpin you need some time off to take care of it. Not that hard."

Alastor nodded. He had indeed seen the fruits of their cooperation. Junior's men may not be particularly good at dealing with people, much like him, but they were damn good at handling even the snarliest of Grimm. He remembered one time in particular when he had taken a few of them on a job to the northern parts of Vale, and they had cleared out an entire horde of Beowolves and Ursa, along with two Alphas, before he had even come close to finishing a massive Death Stalker. It was impressive to say the least.

"So, with that taken care of, at least for now, what do you think about this teacher business?"

Junior shrugged as he cleaned his glass. "Honestly, I don't give two shits about it, but a clean slate ain't something that comes along every day. I'll teach some brats some skills and get paid good doing it. Academy teachers make some good money, you know."

Alastor scoffed. "Please, you, I AND Jaune make more in a month with Grimm's Fable than they do in four. This ain't about money. You actually want out, don't you?"

The Bartender smirked. Alastor knew him well. If there was anyone who he would actually come close to calling a friend, it was the Hunter. "Something like that. Every time Roman comes through, he leaves with men that never come back. They either get arrested or end up dead. I don't want to keep putting my guys through that. If we can really do this, make a clean break from this criminal shit and start doing well, with Grimm's Fable and Beacon, then I'll do it. My guys deserve that. After all this time, they're still loyal, regardless of what they've had to deal with from Roman and the White Fang. I owe them for that, at the very least."

The Hunter smiled a bit at that. It wasn't often that Junior showed how much he cared about his guys, but when he did, it reminded him about how things were back in Astera. How Hunters always cared for one another, even when they hated one another. But that wasn't this. Junior put his guys through hell and they stuck by him, through thick and thin. Now he had an out. Now he had a way to really pay them back. "I gotta say Junior, didn't expect you of all people to go soft, ya know?"

Junior rolled his eyes and punched him in the shoulder, hard. "Shut yer damn mouth. Now get your boy and get out of here before he starts making any more moves on the twins. I don't need the dance floor drenched AND covered in glass."

Alastor turned to see Jaune talking rather animatedly with Melanie, while Miltia giggled like a schoolgirl with a blush on her face. Melanie herself seemed to be trying really hard to not laugh, but he knew that if things continued, it was a battle she would lose. He grinned and gave Junior a small peace sign before walking over, grabbing the blonde by the collar of his shirt, and dragging him away. "Alright, Lover Boy, time to go. Your girls will get to see you at Beacon. You guys need to pack your shit up and get ready. Semester starts in four days, but the Entrance Exams are in three."

The twins glared a hole in the back of the Hunters head, which he was sure he could feel, but he didn't care. Jaune gave a nervous bye and they waved back with smiles on their faces. When they were outside, he let his apprentice stand on his own as they walked. Jaune looked around until he noticed that he had forgotten Grimm's Fable. Alastor noticed too and waved it off. "Don't worry about it. Junior can keep an eye on it and send it with the twins when they all head to Beacon. Use these next few days to clear your mind. Remember, you're good, but a Hunter never underestimates an opponent. Anything can happen. A stray shot can take you down if you aren't paying attention."

Jaune nodded and took a deep breathe. "I understand, Master. What do you think the Entrance Exam is going to be?"

Alastor shrugged. "Honestly, I'm not sure. Junior mentioned that Ozpin has a thing for launching the new students into the Emerald Forest, so that might have something to do with it."

Jaune kept his eyes forward as they rounded a corner. "So just take it as it comes then? Expect the unexpected?"

His Master smiled and grasped his shoulder with a firm hand. "That's right! And don't forget, while you need to take everything seriously, remember the most important lesson we've all taught you."

Jaune looked up to see Alastor beaming at him in the street lights. "Believe in yourself! Three years ago, I was ready to write you off as monster bait. But now…now you're fighting the Grimm off like a seasoned Hunter! You've done well this far. You have a lot to learn, but remember that a Hunter that stops learning is a Hunter that is doomed to fail. Monsters are always evolving, getting stronger and learning, so you need to evolve alongside them. Predator and Prey. Yin and Yang. But ALWAYS remember to believe in yourself. When you feel yourself getting backed into a corner, always remember that there's ALWAYS a way around, or through, the problem. Remember that no matter how bleak things seem, we all believe in you too. The twins will always be by your side, ready to pick you up when you fall and push you forward. And believe me, it may not always seem like it, but Junior is there in his own weird way too. And me, one day I won't be your Master. One day, you're going to be right up there with me and then, we will hunt as equals. When that day comes, we will continue moving through life, not as Master and Apprentice, but as partners! Learning the secrets of the Grimm as TRUE Hunters."

Jaune had started to cry and looked ready to hug the Hunter, but before he could, he removed his hand and started to walk again, leaving the blonde alone underneath the light to watch the retreating form of his Master. He rubbed the tears away with a smile before running after him to catch up. Behind him, unknown to the young man, was Death, who had watched his Agent give his little speech. He hummed in delight. If he could smile, he was sure he would be right now. Peering to his right, he stared deep into the blade of his scythe and at his reflection.

" **I would go so far as to say that he might very well be one of the most interesting Agents I've ever conscripted."**

He was silent for a moment before looking away from the blade. **"Hardly. He is merely a decent distraction from the droll existence of having to deal with ferrying souls. It's a nice vacation."**

…

" **I don't have friends, and he certainly isn't one of them. He is my Agent, nothing more."**

…

" **Think what you will. We must move. You are his boon and we cannot stray too far from him. This conversation is over."**

Deaths Scythe hovered behind him as he began to follow the Hunter and his apprentice. It was silent for a few moments as he fluttered through the darkness before he groaned.

…

" **That does it; you're not getting polished tonight."**

 **END:**

 **I hope that this chapter is good and everyone enjoys it! Next chapter I plan on getting them into the Emerald Forest and showing off Jaune's weapon, Grimm's Fable. Jaune will have a preference among his weapons sixteen forms, but I will take suggestions as to what weapons he uses for which fights. And before anyone flames me, I would like to make sure that you all know, I am a Monster Hunter Veteran, and am aware that there are only fourteen weapon types. To avoid a copy and paste style, I have included two other forms his weapons can take. One in case of major emergencies, and another for fun. Any ideas that anyone has for the future of the story is welcomed as well, and you will be cited for your contribution.**

 **Also, I know that the time skip came out of nowhere, but I'm going to be using the three year skip during flashbacks for context in certain situations. Fears and humorous moments and stuff like that. Anyways, that does it for this one!**

 **Elemental Shadow Out!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Authors Notes At The Bottom.**

 **A Hunters Pride  
Chapter Three  
Welcome to the Jungle**

" **You are forcing too much! You must remain calm, and clear your mind. Draw out the power you hold within you and be gentle."**

It was the night before he and his apprentice would be heading to Beacon with Junior and the twins and Alastor was beginning to get angry as he stood in the middle of a green field. Well…mostly green. It had been perfectly green when he had begun training early in the evening to better harness his energy, allowing Jaune time to calm himself for the day to come. However, over the past few hours, his intermittent bursts of Death Energy had killed a small patch of grass around him. "I'm trying! It's not as simple as you're making it sound!"

Death hovered nearby, his scythe twirling lightly in response to the power being released. He was beyond frustrated with his Agent at the moment. He was merely telling him the same things that he did to harness his own power. It was simple, but the Hunter was incorrigible. **"It is, you are simply too stiff. You are attempting to fully control a force of nature that you cannot fully grasp. You must move with it. Work with it. There is a term you humans use often that I believe fits here rather well. You must dance with Death. Let it lead you, guide you."**

This made the Hunter even angrier as he took deep breaths to try and calm himself. At first it seemed like it was working, the energy within him began to pool up and stream from his body like wisps. But then, it suddenly burst forth, killing more grass and making him collapse to his knees. He cursed and slammed a fist into the ground, making a small crater in the poor dirt. "Dammit! When I first came here it was so easy! I was able to use it, no problem! What's going on?!"

The Reaper came near him and tapped his shoulder, the touch relieving the pain of the backlash from the expulsion. Alastor groaned and sat back on his butt. **"You weren't controlling it. You were utilizing it through attacks and intimidation. And I'm not sure if you remember, with three years being so long to you humans, but your second bout of using you energy in a fight was very lackluster. You burned out like a match. This isn't about using it for an attack. This is about connecting with it. This connection will make it more potent so you don't burn out and give it a chance to grow within you. You and it must come to terms with one another. I know it makes little sense, considering it came from me, but think of it as a living being."**

Alastor sighed and fell back, laying on the dead grass and staring up at the sky. It was a nice night and the moon was so surreal for him to look at. "If you say so. I still say it's not so simple, but I'll try again later. So, what do you think Jaune and the others are up to right now?"

Death gave a motion that he had come to know as a shrug as he stared up at the night sky with his Agent. **"Your apprentice is more than likely asleep right now. Tomorrow, while not the exam, will be tiring for him. The itinerary that Ozpin sent you said that tomorrow was a sort of orientation, so he will need his rest to stay awake. As for the twins and Junior, I cannot say for sure. Even after three years, they are a trio that I can barely read. They're unpredictable. Something you would do well to learn."**

The Hunter scoffed and put his hands behind his head. "Please, I'm hella unpredictable. What about that time I was able to scare you?"

" **You did not scare me. You caught me by surprise. Regardless, the fruits of you misguided labor taught you never to sneak up on me."**

"You blew a hole in the shop. It took two weeks to fix the damage and cost us quite a bit to keep the store next door from suing us!"

Death waved him off. **"Please, monetary loss was the BEST outcome from that scenario. A lesson earned and well learned, I say."**

Alastor rolled his eyes and smiled a bit. Despite still being irritated at how hard it was to actually control his energy, he did enjoy moments like this. Death, while still rather haughty at times, was a good conversationalist, and over the last three years he had learned to joke around. If only slightly. He no longer tried to kill him whenever he called him Mr. Rattle Bones. He smirked at the thought.

Progress.

He chuckled and closed his eyes. "If you say so. So, you think you're going to like it at Beacon?"

The Reaper was quiet, and that alone was enough to catch Alastor's attention. He opened his eyes back up and saw that he was still staring at the sky, seemingly perched on his scythe. He had to admit that where they were was nice, it was far enough from the city that they didn't suffer much light pollution and were able to see all the stars. **"No matter how many times I look, it is always so beautiful. It truly is magnificent."**

He did this whenever they were away from civilization at night. Death had explained it once before to him. He was always busy with his duty of helping wayward souls get to where they belong; he never had the chance to admire the universe for its simple beauty. The Agent kept his smile while looking back to the stars. "Yeah, it really is. Hard to believe that all of those stars have planets around them. How many do you think have life like us?"

Death kept his eyes on the sky as he spoke in a soft voice. **"More than you could count. All dimensions have a universe that is infinite and ever expanding. And I feel every life that lives within them. It is both amazing…and disheartening at the same time."**

Alastor lost his smile and raised a brow as he peered over to the Reaper. "Why do you say that?"

" **Death is not something to be taken lightly, of that I'm sure you know. As a Hunter you never hunted the beasts you did for simple sport. It served a purpose. A circle of life, so to speak. Everywhere in the universe, even here, I feel lives being snuffed out before they truly get the chance to live. It is truly sad that such things exist. To truly appreciate Death and the finality of it, one must experience life. I contradict myself, though. As my Agent, there will come a time that you must take a life before its true time."**

The Hunter shifted uncomfortably as the Reaper set his gaze on him. This was, surprisingly, the first time something like this had come up between the two of them. "That may be so…but that doesn't mean I have to enjoy it. I killed monsters, but like you said, it wasn't something I did for fun. I wanted to make sure that those that came to the New World would be safe. My parents were killed when Astera came under attack from an Anjanath. That's why I was an orphan for so long before Caligra took me in and trained me. I didn't want anyone else to feel that pain. But at the same time, I know we were encroaching on the monsters territory. It was only natural for them to retaliate in some manner. We disturbed their ecosystem. I think I understand what you're saying, though. Death isn't something to seek out. It's best to let it happen on its own terms?"

Death nodded sagely and looked back to the sky. **"Rather oversimplified, but not entirely incorrect. I'll give you an A for effort, though."**

Alastor huffed and shook his head with a smile.

" **Perhaps, that is why it was you that was chosen, though."**

This caught him off guard as he looked back to the Reaper, who did not move his gaze from the stars. **"You understand, to a degree, that life is precious. It is not a toy for some precocious child to do with as they wish. It is fleeting, yet everlasting. Delicate, yet stronger than the hardest diamond. I remember, back when you encountered the White Fang when we first came to Remnant, that I said for you to show them the power of my Agent even if it was after the battle was already over. I remember every strike you made. Every shot you took. Never once did you make an attempt to actually kill one of them. Despite your obvious battle-lust, you struck with the flat of your blade. Only against the other one did you attempt to truly harm him. Perhaps it was because you perceived him as a greater threat, but I am not sure. Regardless, it was in that moment that I was able to see, that you will one day become an Agent that I can truly say that I will be proud of."**

The Hunter smiled up at Death before he turned his eyeless sockets to him; his tone changing completely to a playful one, or one that Alastor had deemed his playful one. **"As it is now, I'd say you'd probably fall prey to another ambush from a Kulu-Ya-Ku."**

Alastor groaned and sat up, though smiled still. "I thought we weren't going to bring that up anymore?!"

The Reaper grunted. **"I never agreed to such a thing. It was a pathetic way to go and start your tenure as my Agent."**

He did nothing to respond. He simply closed his eyes and smiled as he stood up and stretched, his body aching from trying to use the Death Energy. "Ugh…whatever. I think it's time we started heading back. The orientation isn't until late in the afternoon so we'll get to sleep in a little before heading out on the airship."

" **You will. I do not sleep."**

Alastor shrugged and started to walk, his knees popping as he did. "I say try it some time. You might like it."

 **-X-X-X-**

As morning came, Jaune could feel the burn of the sun on his eyelids. Normally, it wasn't something that irritated him that much. In fact, some would say he's strange because he often enjoys waking up to the sight of light. This morning, though, he was anxious. He had a little bit of last minute prep to do to prepare for the airship to Beacon. He was going to be bringing all of his stuff. Though it wasn't much, it was the meaning of such an act that would staple him among his fellow first years. He knew that while his application was accepted, the Entrance Exam could possibly fail him. By bringing his belongings with him, he was essentially telling everyone that no matter what, he was getting in.

Standing up and stretching out, he looked around in mild panic when he realized that Grimm's Fable wasn't in his room, but then remembered the debacle at Junior's Club a few nights ago. He sighed. He often felt naked without it near and couldn't wait until the twins were able to return it to him. It happened every morning when he woke up. Panic then realization.

Dressing himself in simple grey shorts and a white T-shirt, he set about getting everything together. Given that he had done bit by bit over the last few days, so it didn't take him long to actually pack. The biggest part of the morning would be really, saying goodbye to the shop for a while. Both his and his Masters rooms were above the shop, so it was odd that the place he called home for so long would soon be a memory. He sighed and sat back on his bed, looking around the room.

Given that he was done packing, he had his old backpack sitting on top of a massive trunk. Some might have issues lifting it, but not him. His training with the Great Sword and Hammer alone were enough to train his muscles. The rest of the room was rather barren now, though. He didn't really decorate his walls, except for one thing that he had already packed up. It was the mask of his first kill, a Beringel. Taking a quick look at his scroll, he noticed that it was already nine in the morning. It had taken him longer than he thought it did…he wasn't pressed for time at least.

Standing back up, he started to drag the trunk out and down the stairs into the main area of the shop. He took note that his Master wasn't up yet, and he couldn't feel the overbearing aura that Death let out whenever he was frustrated with him.

Oh yes, he knew just who his Master was and who followed him everywhere. He had learned about it due to his Masters inability to remember to talk in his head whenever he got deep into a conversation with the deity. It happened often and it was early on when Alastor came clean with him.

 **-X-X-X-**

 _Jaune tried his hardest to breathe, but found it hard considering that he had just finished training with his Master in the forests just outside the city. Alastor had been attempting to teach him the basics of the Dual Blades, but unfortunately for the young blonde he had started right after he had already been beaten into the ground my Melanie and Miltia. He held a firm grip on the training blades that Junior had bought for him, but still found his grip wavering ever so slightly._

 _Alastor himself stood nearby and was engrossed in conversation with the Reaper. 'I wouldn't say that he's doing badly, but he's going to have a hard time learning to sustain Demon Mode long enough to enter Arch Demon if he doesn't fix his endurance. I'm hoping that sparring with those twins will help him out.'_

" _ **Or, perhaps, you could give him a proper training regimen to prepare his body for the hardships it must endure. Dual Blades will be the least of his problems if he isn't strong enough to lift a Great Sword or a Hammer."**_

 _The Hunter sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose before looking at Death. 'I don't know the first thing about that. Hunters, once we get into the field, have a tendency to abuse Demon Drugs to sustain our strength. Caligra had me do some simple calisthenics but apart from that and some running I don't know how to prepare him for it apart from simply making him do it.'_

 _Death hovered near his apprentice, and the action, surprising Alastor, seemed to have an effect on him. He began to shiver at the proximity the Reaper had with him. He raised a brow at this. 'Strange, I didn't think that anyone could feel your presence.'_

" _ **He may have a deeper connection with supernatural powers. His soul is a powerful thing, if his aura is a factor like Junior said when he unlocked it for him. That could be it. Regardless, we'll worry about that later. Right now, I believe he needs rest. I will do what I can to come up with training that will push his body past its limits. What you're suggesting would likely kill him before his time."**_

 _Alastor crossed his arms and huffed. "He's not gonna die. I went through pretty much the same thing and I'm still here, stronger than ever."_

 _The Reaper shook his skull. Both of them disregarded the fact that he had just spoken out loud, getting the attention of Jaune._ _ **"You're also far different from the people of Remnant. His body, should it go on as it is, would begin to deteriorate. I won't allow this. He is young and his training must be approached cautiously. It is obvious he has never been under this amount of stress before."**_

 _He rolled his eyes and leaned back against a nearby tree. He was irritated, but he would admit, he didn't know the first thing about training someone. He figured that just throwing him into the fire would do it. It seemed like that was what the twins were doing with him._ _ **"I know what you're thinking, and it is nothing like his training with the girls. There is a method to their madness, but you don't have the eye for that sort of thing, that much is obvious. You will train him in the ways of the Hunter, but you will do what I tell you to on this matter. I won't allow the blood of a child to stain the hands of an Agent of mine."**_

 _He sucked his teeth and looked away, but sighed and closed his eyes in understanding and defeat. "Yeah…fine. I gotcha. Just tell me what he needs to do and I'll make sure it gets done."_

 _Jaune was understandably confused, but he still couldn't shake the fear of dread that hung over his shoulders. "Um…Master? Who're you talking to?"_

 _This shook Alastor out of his little funk and caught the attention of the Reaper. Both looked at the blonde before the Hunter looked at Death. 'Oh fuck…' Death merely waved it off._ _ **"Tell him. While I would like my presence to remain a secret to the other Agents in this world, I see no reason to keep such an important piece of information from your apprentice. You know from experience that there can be no secrets between a Master and his student."**_

 _He nodded and pushed himself off of the tree. He was thinking about how to say it, but ultimately the only thing that came to mind was to be blunt and honest. "I was talking to the Grim Reaper, kid."_

 _Jaune looked confused and slightly concerned. "Uhhh…ok? Master…not that I care or anything…but are you…ok? Like…in the head?"_

 _Alastor rolled his eyes and looked to the Reaper for help, since he wasn't really in the mood to try and convince him with simple words. Death hovered behind him and placed a tether of energy, connecting himself to his Agent._ _ **"Grab him. Using you as a medium, I can show my form to those you touch. The only reason I do this is to emphasize his need to keep quiet about this."**_

 _The Hunter held out his hand and Jaune got shakily to his feet, grabbing both blade handles in one hand while reaching out to grab his Master's own. In that single moment, the world seemed to darken and grey out as Death faded into view behind him. Jaune's eyes went wide and he started to shake, but before he could move, he was frozen by a voice that chilled him to his core._ _ **"Jaune Arc. I assure you, that while my Agent may be a fool at times, he is not lying. Alastor Demor is my Agent in this world and as his apprentice; we have decided that you will be allowed knowledge of my presence. We were merely talking about how I would be creating a regimen for you to follow so that your body can grow and become accustomed to the needs of a Hunter."**_

 _Alastor and Death weren't sure if he was listening, since his face had yet to make any sort of change. Jaune was frozen completely as he stared Death in the face. Alastor, having enough, let go of his hand, making Death fade from Jaune's vision. The blonde still didn't move until Alastor flicked him on the forehead. "Hey! Snap out of it! He ain't gonna kill you. It's his domain, not his thing. Anyways, there shouldn't be any secrets between us so I might as well get everything out of the way."_

 _He got Jaune's attention, but the blonde was still shaken from seeing LITERAL Death in front of him. Alastor started naming a few things off, denoting them with a finger as he went. "One; I'm not from this world. I came here from my own when I died, and two; I am an Agent of Balance and am under the Employ of Death. There's nothing to worry about. He's actually pretty harmless, kinda like a puppy."_

 _Jaune seemed about to speak until he saw his Master start to choke and fall to the ground almost comically._ _ **"I am NOT a PUPPY! I am Death! You will speak of me with the respect I deserve!"**_

 _Alastor laughed despite his choking state. "*GAHCK*! I…don't…*GURK*! Know…what you're…talking about! *UGCK*! RATTLE BONES!" With that, the choking got harder and his pale complexion started to turn blue until it miraculously subsided and he collapsed, gasping for air with a stupid smile on his face while Jaune looked horrified at what he just witnessed. "Sorry, he hates when I call him Mr. Rattle Bones. Anyways…so…you cool with this? Or you want out?"_

 _Jaune looked on the fence for a moment. "I mean…it's already been two weeks and it's not like anything would change if I didn't know…I'm not giving up! It'll just take some…getting used to."_

 _Alastor smiled and stood back up. "That's the spirit kid! Now…until he comes up with something, we're going to be focusing on some of the lighter aspects of being a Hunter. It might be a bit before we get into the nitty gritty like weapons now."_

 _Jaune nodded and followed him as he started to walk back to the city._

 **-X-X-X-**

He had learned after that to tell when Death was near. It was strange to him, being able to feel him so close, but never see or hear him. Alastor had told him that Death assumed he was attuned to the supernatural, but he didn't know what to think. He shook the memory from his head with a smile and went into the back where a kitchen was set up and poured himself a bowl of Pumpkin Pete's. Sitting at the small table, he munched happily away at the overtly sweet cereal. His thoughts soon traveled to the days to come. _'I wonder what it's going to be like at Beacon. With Melanie and Miltia there, it'll be a bit more bearable. Can't believe it…three years ago I would've been beyond excited…but I'm going to miss it here. Ever since Master said I was allowed to take smaller missions, I've enjoyed being able to go out and show him what I can do. The thrill of the hunt, the rush of adrenaline when I cut it close…man…if Miltia heard me she'd hit me for letting myself get hurt so much.'_

Almost as if he had tempted some sort of God of Fate, his Scroll went off and he looked to see Miltia had sent him a message. _"You almost ready for the Airship? The schedule says we need to be there by noon."_

He hummed for a moment, sending his reply before going back to eating his cereal. _"I'm ready. Got my stuff all packed so I'm just eating right now. Master is still asleep, though. How is Melanie? You guys at Junior's?"_

As he ate, he felt it. The presence of Death. He gave a small smile before speaking up. If anyone were around besides his Master, they'd think he was crazy. "How was Master last night? He give you trouble as usual?"

It took a moment, but Death had made his way over to a whiteboard and used a marker to write his answer. He found out when he and Alastor first came here that he could interact with objects on the physical plane. Normally, for certain entities, this would require profuse amounts of energy, but he was Death. His power was greater than a mere specter. _**"Your Master still has yet to figure out how to control his powers. He can manipulate it well enough with his imagination, but it isn't as potent as it could be."**_

He gurgled through the food in his mouth and didn't miss the small, but simple message from Death. _**"Do not speak with your mouth full. It is a disgusting habit."**_

Jaune had to stifle a chuckle as he gulped down his last bite and ran some water over it in the sink. After three years, Death had taken to schooling him on his manners since Alastor lacked them as well. He had a habit for scarfing down his food and talking with his mouth full. Jaune, much to the Reapers dismay, had picked up these habits to a degree.

Walking back out into the main area of the shop, Jaune stretched once more before going over to a locker near the back. He was GOING to make an impression. He was going to wear his true Hunter clothing.

He removed his shirt and shorts, not caring in the slightest that people were passing the shop and some women had stopped for split seconds to take a better look at his athletic build and the scars that accompanied it. Despite the strength he used to wield his weapons, he was still very lean and muscular. He opened the locker and started to suit up.

First came a skintight black bodysuit that had dark blue stripes going down his legs and arms and one that trailed his spine. Over the bodysuit, there were buckles and the like that he used to strap on his real armor. He put on his armored right gauntlet that came up to his shoulder and went to work on the rest. A gunmetal grey belt that had a button on its buckle would be clicked into place around his waist when he was done. He grabbed four medallion looking pieces that he started to click into place. They each resembled a sort of crystal, but he knew their true functions. They were extremely powerful magnets that Junior had created, attuned for a specific purpose. He clicked them in place, one on the back of his left hand, another in the center of his chest, and the other two took their places on the side of his thighs. He took out two earpieces and put them in, knowing they would be hidden by his hair.

Now that he was set up, he put on a pair of black jeans that were hanging in the locker and tied his black and blue sneakers nice and snug. He didn't have a shirt for his Hunter clothes, since he wore a bodysuit. Honestly, the only reason he wore jeans was so his business wouldn't be on display for the world to see. That and he needed a reason for the belt, which he finished looping through his pants.

As he finished up, he flexed and was about to click the button on the belt until he heard a voice. "You know the Exam isn't until tomorrow. You trying to prove a point to the kids at the school before anything even happens?"

Jaune looked back to see his Master, dressed in pretty much the same thing he always wore, and smiled. "I want to make sure that they know I'm taking everything seriously. I haven't had a chance to wear my gear since the Giant Nevermore a few weeks ago so I wanted to get reacquainted with my stuff."

Alastor nodded. He remembered when Junior had given that stuff to Jaune. It was strange to him, the amount of tech that man was capable of creating. He was sure if he hadn't gone to crime; he would've been one of the best weapon and armor smiths on Remnant. The gear he made was so interesting and hi-tech that it might as well have been magic. Shit, he still barely understood how Grimm's Fable worked. "That's good. That means you're taking what I said to heart. Take this seriously, but remain confident in your own abilities."

Jaune smiled brighter as he moved his arms back and forth, getting used to his range of motion. He wasn't limited in the slightest, he just always liked to be sure. "So…you gonna be able to handle the Airship?"

The blonde smiled nervously. "Uhhhh…totally! I should be fine if I don't think about it."

Alastor shook his head. "I'll make sure that Miltia gives you something before liftoff. Pretty sure Melanie would forget about it."

He nodded and looked around the shop with a soft smile on his face. "I'm gonna miss it here while we're at Beacon. This place is our home…" The Hunter smiled and finished walking down the stairs to sit at his desk, going over a few last minute signatures for his temporary absence. "It really is. But we'll be back before you know it. Three years went by in pretty much the blink of an eye. Besides, now you'll have the chance to really make some new friends. Just…be careful with the female ones. We don't need a repeat of…"

He didn't even need to finish for Jaune to pale considerably. He remembered it well. There wasn't a soul present that could stop the rampage the twins had gone on when they found out some floozy was trying to move in on Jaune. "Y-y-yeah…I don't think we'd get lucky and have them knock each other out a second time."

Alastor shook the thoughts away and looked at his Scroll. "You might wanna get ready. Junior said the girls are on their way to pick you up and head to the air docks. They have your weapon with them too."

Jaune looked at his own scroll and cursed. It took him longer to get dressed than he thought. The bodysuit was a pain sometimes. He nodded to his Master and started to move his stuff outside to wait for them. _'Welp…time to get this started!_

 **-X-X-X-**

"Oh…oh my gods…oooooooohhhhhhh…"

Jaune was bent over a railing, his back being rubbed by a very sorry pair of Malachite twins. Both had forgotten about his motion sickness and despite being reminded by Alastor, hadn't brought him his medicine. Miltia seemed the most sorry since SHE was the one that he had specifically told to get him something. "I'm so sorry, Jaune…"

He tried to stand up but with a quick turn of the stomach, he was bent over once more. "I-it's…ok…*HURP*!"

He forced himself to hold in his vomit as he quickly ran for a nearby trashcan, nearly bowling over a terrifyingly familiar face. "Hey, watch where you're going!"

The twins turned to see the Apprentice Hunter with his head in the trash and a very irate, longhaired blonde. They both sent her glares and when she turned, she noticed the two of them. She jumped in surprise and pointed at them incredulously. "You two! What're you doing here?!"

Melanie took a pose with her hip popped out to the side and crossed her arms. "We're going to Beacon. We were hand-picked by Ozpin to come!"

She smirked as Yang simmered at her words. "Don't you think your _boss_ will be mad that you guys aren't around to protect him?"

Miltia sighed and placed a hand on her hip. "He's going to be at Beacon as well. He's going to be a _teacher_."

Another victory jotted down for the twins as Yang huffed and crossed her arms. It was then that a younger girl with black and red tipped hair walked up and patted the blonde. "Yang, calm down. Why're you getting so mad? I thought we were trying to make friends? Besides…weren't you the one that caused most of the trouble the other night?"

They both recognized the girl from the photo that Jaune passed to his Master. Ruby Rose. Yang sighed and gave one more look to her fellow blonde, who was now slumped against the wall with swirls in his eyes and drool coming out of his mouth. He looked like he was dying. "You're right…" It begrudged her, but she walked up and offered a hand to the twins, catching them both off guard. "Look…I don't really know why Ozpin would pick you guys, but…if he did…then you can't really be that bad. I'm…"

"Yang, say it."

She sent a playful glare to her little sister before her shoulders slumped. "I'm sorry. You think we can start over?"

Melanie was flabbergasted and Miltia was pretty much the same. When she had appeared at the club, all she did was flaunt herself and start a massive brawl that trashed half the club. The only reason she apologized was because Ozpin had pretty much twisted her arm. Miltia was the first to speak as she lightly grabbed her hand. "I'm more than willing to start over. Jaune wouldn't really like it if I held a grudge."

Yang had a small smile, as did her sister who silently cheered. Melanie looked like she wanted to refuse, but she was quickly elbowed by her sister. "Jaune would do it."

She sighed and rolled her eyes, taking Yang's hand after Miltia let go. "Fine. I'd rather him not be mad at me…"

Miltia smiled. Jaune was a very weak spot for both of them. They admired him for his inability to truly hold a grudge. He was a pure soul in the bleak underworld they inhabited for so long and they loved being around him. While he wouldn't be mad for long, any negative emotion directed at them made them incredibly sad. Yang let go and her smile brightened while Ruby looked back at the poor blonde on the floor. "So…is he a friend of yours?"

Melanie smirked and gained a look in her eyes that her sister knew well. "Oh, he's a very good _friend_ of ours. Some might even say he's more than just a friend." Miltia rubbed the bridge of her nose before going over to drag the poor boy over to them. She was glad she was able to convince him to put Grimm's Fable into storage with the other weapons; otherwise she wouldn't be able to do it. Yang looked surprised at her words. "Wait…you mean…both of you?"

Her smirk widened and they were sure it would tear her face if her sister hadn't popped her on the back of head when she made it back with Jaune. Yang whistled and put her hands on her hips with a mischievous grin. "Dang…that boy is living the dream, for sure."

As the airship began its descent, Melanie hefted her blonde onto her shoulder and started to walk towards the offloading ramp with her sister and new…friends. "Oh believe me; we make sure he lives is."

The moment they were off the airship, Jaune was immediately back to normal and realized he was being carried. "Hey, I can walk, you know!"

Melanie giggled and set him down before running fingers through his hair, making him freeze from the touch. Just how she liked it. No matter how much she or her sister touched him like this, he still froze like he was struck by a flash freeze. Her tone was hushed and husky as she leaned into his ear. "Oh I know…I just wanna show blondie who you belong to. I wouldn't want her thinking that there was any room on our Arc for her…"

His face immediately became the color of Ruby's cloak and when she backed up, she could swear she saw steam coming out of his ears. Miltia giggled at the sight, having heard her sister. Jaune stuttered like a fool as he started pointing towards where the prospective students were getting their gear. "U-u-u-u-uh I t-t-t-think I'm g-g-g-gonna g-g-g-go get m-m-m-my gear. Heh…heheh…"

Like lightning he was gone, leaving the twins, Yang and Ruby alone as they started to follow him. Yang grinned after the flustered blonde. "Man…what'd you say to him?"

She smiled and waved her hand as if to say nothing. "I was simply laying down the law. You know how boys can be."

Yang nodded sagely while Ruby looked confused. "What do you mean? How can boys be?"

Miltia looked ready to answer until Yang immediately ran interference. "They can just be stupid, Rubes, nothing to really tell." The black and red twin looked confused before Yang looked at her and slid her hand in front of her throat, telling her not to say anything. She shrugged and they got around seeing Jaune with Grimm's Fable strapped to his back and wheeling his trunk behind him. He looked extremely happy. "Well you certainly look stupid happy."

He smiled at Yang before speaking. "I don't really like leaving my weapon where I can't get to it quickly. Grimm's Fable is as much a part of me as my arms and legs."

Ruby disappeared in a burst of rose petals before reappearing near the blonde with a compact, red and black hunk. She hugged it tightly and smiled at him. "I know what you mean! I can't stand being away from my baby! Crescent Rose is my sweet little baby!"

The Twins smiled at her. They had already put it in their minds that she wouldn't try to move in on Jaune. She was simply too innocent and young for him, being fifteen. The same could be said for them, but in their minds, it was totally different. Yang took notice of something though. "Did you say Grimm's Fable? Like the Grimm Extermination shop that operates in Vale? You named your weapon after them?"

Jaune nodded with another smile. "I did! Grimm's Fable has been my home for a few years, so now I can bring home with me wherever I go, so to speak."

"Home?"

She got another nod as Miltia spoke up before he could. "Jaune here is a partial owner and Hunter for Grimm's Fable. He's the apprentice of one of the partners and they live above the shop."

It was Yang's turn to be surprised when she heard that. Jaune rubbed the back of his head with a nervous smile. "You…you're the apprentice of Alastor Demor? The Grimm Reaper?!"

Jaune groaned when he heard his Masters nickname. Knowing the he was linked to Death, he felt like it was so derivative. "Yeah, but please…when you meet him, don't call him that. It makes De-him irritated."

"MEET HIM?!"

He nodded and resituated Grimm's Fable with a light pull of one of the straps. "Master is going to be teaching here with some guy named Port. I think the class is Grimm Studies or something like that."

Yang looked positively giddy at the thought as she clapped, hopping up and down. Ruby, on the other hand, didn't really care as she kept looking at him weapon, trying to figure out how it works. She deployed her own scythe and let it impale the ground making him jump back slightly. When he did so, however, he stumbled and fell over a cart rolling luggage. There was a crash and a girly scream as he landed on top of someone. Luckily he was able to get Grimm's Fable off before his and its combined weight crushed whoever it was.

He groaned and tried to get up; before he heard the voice of the person he fell on. "Jaune!"

He shook his head, clearing his wispy vision to see a white-haired girl beneath him with a glare leveled at him. Though, to be fair, he had seen her scarier ones. This was one he categorized as only half serious. "Weiss?! What're you doing here?"

The Malachite twins glared at the heiress as Jaune hopped up and helped her up as well. She dusted off her dress and huffed while Jaune started to pick up the luggage he had made fall over. "I was able to convince my father to allow me to attend Beacon instead of Atlas. He…still isn't too terribly fond of me becoming a Huntress…but he's backing off for now and letting me do my own thing and spread my wings, so to speak. How have you been? The last time you were in Atlas I never had the chance to see you…"

Melanie crossed her arms and looked like she was about to pounce on the girl. _'DAMN RIGHT you never got the chance!'_ Miltia seemed a little less cross, but still didn't like the subtle looks the heiress was giving Jaune.

He himself smiled and picked his weapon back up, strapping the case to his back. "I've been good! We just got back a few days ago and I've been resting up for the exam. Master wouldn't let me do anything fun the last few days…"

She nodded with closed eyes, her playfully haughty look. "Rightfully so! I swear if he didn't reel you in you would break yourself over and over again. Also…please tell him that he needs to stop giving Winter such a hard time! She's stressed enough as it is without him causing more trouble and leaving her without debriefing!"

Jaune chuckled and scratched the back of his head, remembering that he had mentioned something about a _salty chick_ from his latest mission to Atlas. "Yeah…I'm sorry about that. I don't think he knew she was your sister…" Yang was watching the twins' reactions keenly while also observing Weiss and her interactions with her fellow blonde. Ruby was still scratching her head. For the life of her, she couldn't figure out the massive black case! The female blonde moved silently in between the twins with a grin. "Jealous?"

"Hardly/Yes!"

Miltia huffed and crossed her arms. "Jaune is simply being friendly. Weiss, being who she is, doesn't have a lot of friends. Jaune went to Atlas a year ago with Junior to help with a fundraiser that her family was throwing for the Grimm's Fable Orphanage Charity since Alastor was off in Mistral at the time. They met and became…friends…pretty fast, since that's just the kind of person h-why is she getting so close…"

Miltia's voice took a deadly turn as she noticed Weiss was getting uncomfortably close to Jaune, though he didn't give any indication that he noticed. It didn't help that every so often she would look to his chest which was covered by his skin tight bodysuit. Melanie was definitely looking to pounce until everyone stopped when a girl wearing a black bow passed them all reading a book. "You guys may want to hurry up. The orientation assembly is starting soon."

Jaune looked away from Weiss and down at his scroll, noticing that the girl was right and his face looked slightly panicked. "Alright! We need to hurry! C'mon!"

He was once more moving at a speed that Ruby deemed fast and everyone started to run and follow him. Weiss had a small smile on her face as she walked, happy that there was a familiar face for her here at Beacon.

 **-X-X-X-**

Jaune groaned as he stood in the locker rooms near the ball room. He would never understood why Beacon had a ball room, but he supposed it made sense for the moment, since they needed a place to house all the prospective students. He rubbed his shoulders and tried to soothe the pain. Holding Grimm's Fable in an awkward position for so long had a tendency to hurt a bit, but he normally had the twins to help him massage away the pain. Right now, however, it was nearing that time when everyone would be turning in and he was alone in the locker room, staring in a mirror.

Over his time working at Grimm's Fable, he had accumulated many small scars while he was learning his limits. However, for him, there was one scar that stood out and made him cringe every time he thought about how he got it. Normally he never cared for looking at them, but tonight was special. Tomorrow was, as Ozpin had put it during the orientation, their Initiation. He would use this time to look at his past mistakes and to remember an important lesson. These scars were a reminder to never take anything for granted. This scar in particular was a testament to never let it guard down. It was large and jagged, running from his right shoulder, all the way down to his right hip. He remembered being sliced open rather crudely and nearly bleeding out. He was ultimately lucky that his Master had been there to save him; otherwise…he wasn't sure if he'd still be alive.

It happened with a simple gesture. Jaune had seen someone and had decided to try and help them, but Alastor had been cautious, telling him to be careful. He was younger at the time, this being about two years ago, so he had yet to learn how cruel people can be. The person he was trying to help had taken him by surprised and he didn't have enough time to focus his aura into a defensive position and was nearly killed.

He sighed, remembering that time. Despite the surprise attack, he never wavered. It's simply who he was. Plus, he wasn't one to hold a grudge. It's not like it hurt anymore, anyways. Walking back out to the main area, he noticed that, against his previous judgement, people weren't getting ready for bed. Boys were flaunting their bodies at girls and the girls were drinking it all in. He looked down and remembered that he hadn't put on a shirt, but shrugged and waved it off. It wasn't much of a big deal. He figured most of the guys had better bodies than him anyway. In his mind, women liked big muscly dudes with chiseled jaws. That and he didn't think they would care for his ridiculous amount of scars.

Walking over to where the twins had set up their sleeping bags, he wasn't paying attention to where he was going and ended up smacking into someone. "Oh man, I'm so sorry!"

"No, it was my fault; I should've been paying attention!"

Jaune rubbed his head and looked to see the person he had run into was tall and had beautiful red hair. He looked stunned for a moment but immediately shook it off, not wanting to look like a creep ogling a girl in her pajamas. "Hey, I don't think we've met! Name's Jaune Arc, it's a pleasure. If you don't mind, I'd like if we could be friends!"

Jaune was the type of person that would make all the friends he could and this was a moment that he wouldn't let pass him by. He held out his hand with a smile that made his eyes close themselves. It was so wide and bright that the girl couldn't help but giggle and take his hand. "I'm Pyrrha Nikos, and the pleasure is mine. As for being friends, I think I'd like that very much!"

Jaune hummed in delight and was about to wave goodbye, but then she looked down and saw the scars that littered his body. The face she made was one of worry. "Oh my…those scars…they look terrible…"

He stopped and shrugged. "They were terrible when I got them. Now, they're just reminders; reminders that a Hunter never lets his guard down." Pyrrha kept her eyes on the one scar in particular; the one that was gouged into his right side. She touched it lightly, not really caring for personal space at the moment as she crouched slightly to get a better look at it. Jaune shivered at the light touch. "That one…it looks like it should've been fatal."

He nodded and traced it with his thumb. The skin had sort of smoothed over, but in certain places it was still rough to the touch. "It would've been if Master wasn't there to save me. But…that's just depressing to think about. I learned my lesson, for the most part. What's done is done, so to speak. Besides, I'm sure you have some scars of your own."

She stood back up and pointed to a small patch of light skin on the underside of her arm. "I have one, but it was just a training accident, nothing life threatening. I'm not sure I'd want any like that."

He smirked and started to walk back to where the twins were, noticing that they had caught sight of him and were doing the thing they did when they were jealous. Not wanting his new friend to burst into flames from a freak accident, he waved bye as he spoke, never once noticing the angry glares he was getting from the other boys in the ball room. "In my opinion, it's the life threatening ones that teach us the most. Anyways, I'll see you in the morning! Sleep well!"

He didn't stay to see if she waved back, but he heard her goodnight as he made his way to the twins, who had set his sleeping between them. Unknown to him, they had done this to make sure that the heiress couldn't take a spot near him. Miltia laid down first while Melanie looked pouty. "Talking to other girls, Jaune? What, are we not enough for you?"

Jaune set himself in his bag and laid down, closing his eyes with his hands behind his head. "You know that isn't it at all, Melanie. I was just making a new friend is all."

"She was staring at your body like a piece of meat."

He shook his head and yawned. "She was just looking at my scars. It's not a big deal."

Melanie rolled over and propped herself up, puffing her cheeks in irritation. "You're so dense…you know that?"

The blonde shrugged. "That may be so, but it doesn't change the fact that she's just a friend. Now c'mon, we need to sleep. We got a big day tomorrow."

She sighed and laid down, placing her hand on his chest and shaking her head. They both soon drifted to sleep without another word.

 **-X-X-X-**

It was here, it was the big day! Jaune had a grin on his face from the moment he woke up and had starting getting ready. It took him only minutes to get into his Hunter gear and he was doing some last minute maintenance on Grimm's Fable. Everyone else was talking with one another, but he felt like this was what his Master was talking about. Take EVERYTHING seriously. Be CONFIDENT. He was confident in his equipment and his training and he was going to treat whatever was being thrown at him like a true threat!

As he cleaned off the keypad that was on his weapon, he was jostled from his thoughts when a hard pat on the back made him stumble. He looked back to see Yang and her sister Ruby all geared up and ready to go. Though, much like his master, he didn't really see the practicality of wearing fashionable clothes over actual armor. Sure, he was guilty of the same thing at times, but when he took things serious, he always wore his Hunter gear. "Mornin' Jaune! Ready for the day?!"

His grin worked its way back and he took his mind off of his observations. "Hell yeah! I'm pumped up and my bodies aching for a good time!"

Yang gave him a smile and a thumbs up. She was an adrenaline junkie herself and always appreciated meeting another one. "Whatever's coming our way, let's have fun!"

He nodded and, after finishing his once over, loaded Grimm's Fable only his back while patting it affectionately. "Don't worry, baby, we're gonna have LOADS of fun today!"

The announcement came and all of the students started to make their way to the cliff overlooking the Emerald Forest. Jaune remembered that his Master had mentioned something about this, so he was sure he'd get the chance to fight some Grimm. He grinned like a madman as his fingers itched to key in a weapon. Ozpin and his Vice Headmaster, Glynda Goodwitch, came up soon after they had all arrived. Jaune, though, was surprised to see Junior and his Master there. He also noticed that Yang was having a minor fangirl moment the second she saw him. He was wearing his normal Hunter gear, with Sapphire Star in their stowed state.

Ozpin sipped from his cup and cleared his throat. "Now…for years you have trained to become Huntsmen and Huntresses. Warriors. Today, your abilities will be pushed to the limit and evaluated in the Emerald Forest. Glynda, if you would."

The woman, who had many of the young men drooling at her sexy librarian look, walked up and cleared her throat. "Now, I'm sure many of you have heard rumors about how you are going to be assigned to your teams. Well, allow us to put a stop to the rumors and your confusion. You will all be given teammates…today."

There was a silence that washed over them and Jaune was sure he heard groaning. Ozpin stepped forward and took another sip, leaving Alastor and Junior back to overlook the forest. "These teammates will be with you for the rest of your time here at Beacon. So it is in your best interest to be paired with someone with whom you can work well with."

Jaune was SURE he heard groaning, but couldn't place who it was. "That being said, the first person that you make eye contact with will be your partner for the next four years."

There it was. Jaune heard what he thought was glass breaking and a loud, "Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaat?!" He chuckled and realized that the groaning up to this point was Ruby. He didn't really care how he was going to get his partner. He could work well with anyone. Besides, if it was someone he didn't know, he would just have a new friend! He smiled at the thought as Ozpin continued. "Now, once you have partnered up, you will make your way to the northern end of the forest where you will find the ruins of a temple containing several relics. Ever pair must pick a relic and then make their way back here to the top of the cliff. You will be monitored and graded throughout the duration of the test, but there will be no intervention from any of the staff. You WILL be opposition along the way. When you do…do not hesitate to destroy everything in your path. Or else…you will die."

Jaune felt it then. He felt his heart start to race as his blood started to boil. He started to bounce up and down lightly on the platform he occupied. "Now…Everybody take up your positions. Once you are in the forest, you know what to do."

Jaune was practically shaking with excitement as he watched person after person get shot into the air. His grin was pretty much threatening to split his face as his turn soon came. He was launched into the air at a speed he could never hope to reach, to a height he never thought he'd get to. He flipped and screamed and shouted with glee, catching the attention of his Master, who shook his head with a smile.

"Do me proud, Jaune. Show me you're ready to be a Hunter."

 **-X-X-X-**

As he neared the canopy of the forest, Jaune braced himself with Aura as he crashed through three branches and hit the ground. He wasn't able to roll with Grimm's Fable on his back, but he was able to stunt most of the damage and made a crater from his impact.

He sighed and still felt his body shaking. He took some deep breaths to calm himself. "Alright Jaune…no need to get too hyped. You've just been feeling the cabin fever. Cooped up for three days can do that to you…yeah…totally normal."

After he talked himself down, he looked around and noticed that he didn't hear anything, immediately, his guard went up. He grinned and started to key in a number. "Hmmm…Seven-Four-Six. Let's do this!"

When he hit the pound key, Grimm's Fable immediately reacted. His armored right hand started to pulse and the hatch at the top of his weapon opened up. Pieces of metal and a handle shot into the air and the medallion-like pieces on his body started to emit a controlled magnetic field. He grasped the sword handle and the blades that danced in the air came down, attaching and forming a sword that had a very thick body and had small phials inside of its blade, small holes on the flat of the blade and a trigger that his index finger sat on lightly. Reaching up with his left hand he grabbed another handle that came out and the metals started to crash and form a large shield that was looking suspiciously sharp. He grinned as he eyed one of his favorite weapons, his modified Charge Blade. While it didn't look too fancy, this weapon was incredibly durable and sharp. Form over function, as always.

The bands holding Grimm's Fable to his back detached and entered what he liked to call Tower Mode. It landed standing tall and the corners on the ground sprang out and latched onto the ground around it. He like it because the claw-like corners made sure that nothing would be able to move his weapon case while he fought. Then, he heard it.

Nearby. It was crawling through the bushes. He narrowed his eyes with a grin as he heard growling come from all around him, taking his attention from the bushes. These were growls that he recognized. Beowolves. He chuckled and realized they were trying to divide his attention.

It happened in an instant. A Beowolf leapt at him from the bushes and he dodged a swipe to his head, countering with his own swipe that gouged into the right side of the beast. Before he could finish it, he felt something and turned once more, blocking a downward slash from another Beowolf. He went for a stab and barely grazed the monster as it jumped back. Soon, more and more Beowolves came from the surprisingly dark forest. He glanced down and saw that the phials that were in his blade were glowing yellow. He grinned. A few more and he'd be full.

Two jumped at him while the pack circled him and he realized they were dividing him. One went for his head and the other went for his legs. Thinking fast, he slashed up and was able to slice right through the arm of the Beowolf, while his shield blocked his legs from being cut into. Then, with a precise strike he impaled one of the beasts through the skull and turned to bash his shield against the other, but was set upon by another three Beowolves. "Ok…this is just a seriously shitty part of the forest…"

He quickly charged his phials into his blade and slashed up with a growl. His sword cut clean through one of the beasts with so much force that it didn't have a chance to evaporate. It turned into a fine black mist, but he left himself open as the other two closed in. He tried to bring his shield up but was only able to block one as the other rammed into his chest. He stumbled and was about to right himself and counter, but before he could, a wave of ice overtook the beast and he looked surprised before it shattered, leaving nothing of the unfortunate Grimm.

He heard a jingling, strange. But then, he saw he blur of white that dashed into the fray. He grinned, knowing who it was and knowing he was going to have to thank her for the save. Running at a Beowolf trying to jump her from behind, he cut the monster clean in half, gaining his red phials once more and charged another Beowolf, charging his phials into his shield while simultaneously blocking a swipe from the beast, the force of the charged shield making it stagger as he then recharged phials to his sword with a dangerous grin. With a jab of his shield, something shot out and impaled the Beowolf through the chest, killing it instantly as he inserted his sword back into his shield.

Turning to see the Weiss was handling herself rather well, he figured now it was time to bring out the big guns. The shield shifted and changed, becoming one with the sword and lengthening into a massive axe that practically vibrated with pure power. "Weiss! Move!"

Weiss gave no indication she heard him apart from simply moving out of the way. Jaune grinned and took a position that caused the blade of the now massive axe to start spinning like a buzz saw. It generated electricity with its kinetic energy alone and he swiped out, smacking a Beowolf so hard that it flew back and hit a tree, destroying the tree AND the monster. With his arc ready, he brought the axe overhead in a massive swing that demonstrated his monstrous power. "Super Amped Elemental Discharge!"

The blade of the axe collided with the ground and he pulled the trigger that his finger still sat on. For a solid two seconds, nothing happened and the only casualty was another poor beast that had been sliced in half by the axe. But as soon as the Beowolves moved in for a kill, the ground cratered and a powerful explosion charred and destroyed the last of the Beowolves. Weiss had to shield her face from the immense heat the fireball gave off, but otherwise she was fine.

The crater looked as though molten lava had pooled in it and Jaune grinned, slamming a fist down on the back of his handle, making the axe shift back into its sword and shield form. Walking back over to his case, he entered in the same code and the weapon disassembled itself, stowing once more in the case. It released its hold on the ground and he picked it back up, ready to move out with his new partner. Weiss approached, intrigued by the weapon that caused such focused destruction. "What on earth is that thing?"

He grinned and patted the case that now sat once more on his back. "My baby, Grimm's Fable. She is a One of a Kind, State of the Art weapon that can take sixteen separate forms. What you just saw was only one of her sixteen forms!"

Weiss was beyond interested. It honestly felt like something that Atlas would make. "How does it work?"

His grin was still on his face. "No secrets between teammates, I suppose. She works off of incredibly powerful, focused magnetic fields. Honestly, the metal you just saw, doesn't take the same form every time. Inside of this case are massive amounts of experimental magnetic fluids that are turned into the weapons I need by manipulating small nano-bots using this little doodad." He moved his hair and pointed to the ear pieces and she nodded while he continued. "The nano-bots take the form of the weapon I choose and then these…" he pointed to the medallions on his chest and arm and hinted to the ones on his thighs, "…magnetize the bots to such a degree that they bond with the fluid and they create a weapon that can withstand some serious damage and cut through some serious shit."

She nodded and was even more interested in the weapon. Though she didn't understand it, and she was definitely no weapon nut, it was a seriously impressive piece of technology. "But why did you use the keypad to put it back? Wouldn't you just use the thing in your ears?"

He shrugged. "I mean, I can, but using the keypad is faster, believe it or not. It programs the nano-bots themselves so I don't have to always focus on weapon forms. I get scatterbrained from time to time and that can really mess up the form of the weapons if I get too distracted. This is really for when I need something new but can't reach Grimm's Fable. Plus, my weapons final form is best used with this. It's really the only reason I still use it. Anyways, we need to go on ahead and get moving. We don't want more Beowolves to show up. You know which way we need to go?"

She nodded and he started to follow her, keeping an eye out for anything that could sneak up on them.

' _Ain't letting ANYTHING get the drop on us…'_

What he didn't notice though, despite his training, was a dangerous set of piercing blue eyes that peered through the darkness of the forest. Its growl was low and it looked ready to pounce…but it waited. It would savor its hunt for as long as it could. It was an Apex predator…and it would soon taste its quarry…

 **END:**

 **Here you go! Another chapter of A Hunter's Pride. I do home that you enjoyed it and I hope you're prepared for the next one, because I'm bringing in one of my favorites. Also, for the Charge Blade, it has all of the basic functions, but I would like to thank…**

 **Artyom-Dreizehn**

 **For the idea of a gun integrated into the sword. It has this function; I simply didn't show it off in its entirety. It will show its face in future chapters. If you see areas where I need improvement then please feel free to review or PM me with your suggestions. Anyways, until next time…**

 **Elemental Shadow Out!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Authors Notes At The Bottom.**

 **A Hunters Pride  
Chapter Four  
The True Apex Predator**

"Hmmm…I must say that that is a very interesting weapon that your apprentice has, Mr. Demor. Did he create it himself?"

Junior huffed and crossed his arms. "The kid is smart, but I made that. It cost a pretty Lien, and I fucked it up more times than I can count, but what you're looking at is the result of pure technological genius and ingenuity."

Glynda looked up from her scroll and the hidden cameras with unimpressed eyes. "I would appreciate it if you could watch you language, Mr. Xiong. If you're going to be teaching alongside me I will not tolerate such disrespectful words around the students."

He waved her off. "Oh please, get those kids alone and they'll say things ten times worse than anything I could ever think of."

She looked peeved and was about to speak but Ozpin beat her to the punch with a separate subject entirely. "You certainly have a talent for building weapons. A weapon with sixteen forms is nothing short of amazing. I must say that I am glad that you accepted my offer to come to Beacon."

Junior grinned and puffed up his chest. "At least my talents are recognized. Feels good. Hey, Alas-hey…you good man?"

Alastor had been quiet the entire time, staring at his Staff Scroll that Ozpin had given him and Junior. He was following his Apprentice through the forest using the cameras. Normally he'd leave him to his own devices, but something felt off. Very off. Every so often he would see something moving in the shadows around them. Stalking them like a true predator. Junior patted him on the shoulder and he jumped a little. "What is it, Junior?"

He held his hands up in defense. "Hey, sorry man, you were zoned out. What's the matter?" He knew Alastor and if something was able to grab his attention like that it was either really good or really bad. Given how he snapped a bit, it was more than likely the latter. Despite this, he looked back to his Scroll and spoke, garnering the attention of both Ozpin and Glynda. "Something…isn't right. Something is hunting Jaune and the girl."

Ozpin sipped from his mug and brought up the same cameras, deftly moving through recorded footage and saw what he was talking about. His eyes narrowed in confusion. "What…on Remnant is that?"

Alastor clenched his teeth. He was torn. On one hand, this wasn't anything like Jaune had ever faced before. It shouldn't even BE on Remnant to begin with! But…at the same time, he trusted his Apprentice to do the right thing. He had his partner and so long as he stayed alert he'd be able to counter the monster that stalked them. But still…the question remained…what was it doing HERE?! He looked to his right and saw Death in a state of confusion. He wouldn't have an answer for this one…

"Mr. Demor, do you know what this thing is?"

After glancing at Ozpin he looked back at his Scroll and went through footage again, finding a point where he could see the piercing blue eyes of the beast. Though it was a blur, when he looked closer he saw the gnarled teeth…the red scales that looked like pure muscle. He felt excitement and fear when he saw it. It was a formidable foe for veteran Hunters, and an impossible obstacle for a fledgling. He sighed and looked back at Ozpin. "I do. It's a dangerous monster. It's not a Grimm. It's something else. Rage given form. Its hunger is insatiable…it's…"

He looked back at the deadly blue eyes, surrounded by the abyss in the rest of its eyes.

"…Odogaron."

 **-X-X-X-**

Jaune and Weiss continued to walk, dispatching any Grimm that was unlucky enough to cross their path. Jaune, though, for the life of him, couldn't shake the feeling that they were being watched. Every time he would try to catch it, it was nothing but a blur. It irritated him, but if Grimm were stalking them, they'd be able to deal with it no problem.

Weiss led them through the forest with what felt like a practiced ease. She was blissfully unaware that something was stalking them, but Jaune still kept his guard up. "So, what finally convinced your dad to let you come here?"

The Heiress kept her eyes looking in front as she spoke and weaved them through the trees. "Father, while not fond of my choice, believes that by coming here, I will grow to appreciate the thought of taking over the company instead of, as he puts it, 'Toiling away with the peons'."

Jaune grumbled as he rolled his eyes. He met Jacques when he met her, and the man left much to be desired as a person. "Yes, because sitting at a desk in some stuffy office is SO much better than being out in the fresh air killing monsters that plague the world. Ok…it might be safer, but seriously, this is where the fun is at!"

She giggled and they soon came to a large clearing, but still, the tip of the ruins they were meant to find was far off. Scattered around the clearing were small patches of flowers that looked beautiful in her opinion. "Indeed, though, with you as my partner, luckily I won't have to do too much heavy lifting. That labor is best left to the 'Peons'."

Jaune saw her look back and he caught the playful glint in her eyes and he couldn't help but smirk. "Oh no, princess, I don't think so. You're gonna be pulling your weight over the next four years!"

She sighed and put her hands up in mock defeat. "Oh…if you say so…what ever will I do with you…"

He chuckled and was about to run ahead of her, but stopped. He heard it…he heard the snapping of a twig. Something was close. Then he heard the rustle of grass being crushed beneath the feet of a giant. Acting in the heat of the moment, he swung Grimm's Fable from his back, turning and used it to block the rush of a great red beast. The monster bit down on the case with a growl, making Weiss turn and scream at the sight. Jaune was forced to release his hold on Grimm's Fable as the beast dashed passed him, screeching to a halt and turning slightly, like a wolf staring down its prey.

Jaune was sure of one thing. This beast was no Grimm. Though not the largest beast he's faced, it was large and lithe. If Jaune had to estimate, from the head, that still held his weapon, to the tail, this beast was at the very least twenty-three feet long. Jaune stared right into its deadly blue eyes that betrayed nothing but rage and hunger. On its clawed feet, he saw another set of retractable claws ready to tear into whatever flesh they could get to. Its skin looked like it was made of pure muscle-like material and its teeth were terrifying and mangled, as though its bite was designed by some force of nature to cause as much pain as it possibly could. Its tail was long and had so many bone-like protrusions that he couldn't count. Simply staring at the beast, he knew this thing had evolved for one simple purpose.

Kill.

Weiss had run to his side and had her sword drawn. There was panic in her eyes as her form trembled. Jaune wasn't as bad, but seeing this new enemy before him…seeing the pure hunger in its eyes…it set him on edge. "Jaune…what is this thing?!"

He grimaced, not knowing how to answer that question. He didn't know either. And now he was at a massive disadvantage. This thing had his weapon in its maw and while he knew how to project his aura into an attack, it wasn't that powerful. That and he still hadn't discovered his Semblance. "I…I don't know. But I don't think it's going to let us run. We need to get my weapon back and take this thing out!"

Before either of them could move, the Odogaron reared its head back and let loose a terrifyingly guttural roar that forced both of them to cover their ears. Luckily, the roar made the beast drop Grimm's Fable, but still, Jaune had no way of getting to it without going near the monster and he couldn't focus his thoughts enough to bring forth a weapon. He needed that keypad.

Before they were able to recover, the Odogaron charged. It crossed the expanse in what felt like the blink of an eye and went for what it felt was the easiest target first. Its retractable claws came out and it swiped at Weiss, but Jaune recovered just in the nick of time and grabbed her, dodging out of the way of the attack. Unfortunately, that wasn't enough, as right as they landed, the monster swung its tail out, flipping back and sending rocks and dirt at them while the tail itself smashed into the side of the Hunter-in-Training.

Jaune let out a scream of pain as he was sent flying away from Weiss, who rolled back slightly. Jaune recovered from his daze and stood slowly, noticing that its eyes were staring directly at him. It stalked around him, like wolf waiting for the right moment to strike. Weiss pushed herself up with a pain grunt as the blonde saw Grimm's Fable lying on the ground behind the Odogaron. "Weiss, I need you to get to my weapon! I'll distract it! Get there and put in Two-Eight-Seven-Six!"

Right as he finished, the beast charged once more, trying to bite down on Jaune, but he dodged through its front legs and focused his Aura as best he could, sending a punch to what he thought was its gut, but that only made it angrier as it jumped back and lunged forth once more with its claws. He barely dodged in time bit found the tail coming for him again out of the corner of his eye. He braced for impact and was sent flying once more. "Gah! Dammit! This thing is relentless!"

Weiss was already moving, using her Glyphs to skate across the ground at high speeds. She reached Grimm's Fable, but unfortunately it had fallen in such a manner that the keypad was on the ground. She sheathed Myrtenaster and tried to flip it over, but could barely get it to budge. She grunted, but didn't stop. "Of all the…ugh! Things that could happen!"

The Odogaron was once more upon Jaune with its mouth open wide. He focused his Aura in front of him and formed a barrier between him and the terrifying teeth, but with the strength that the beast bit down with, cracks started to form alarmingly fast. He used the momentary distraction to roll out of the way as the barrier broke and its face slammed into the ground. His small victory aside, the Odogaron recovered quickly and roared once more, making him fall to his knees.

This wasn't looking good for him or Weiss…

 **-X-X-X-**

Junior was livid. They all saw the initial attack of the beast that Alastor called the Odogaron and all four sets of eyes were glued to their separate Scrolls. "We need to help them! This thing…it's not like normal Grimm!"

Alastor watched as his Apprentice was tossed around like a chew toy by the beast and grimaced. He knew how hard these things could hit. "It's not a Grimm at all. It's a monster, and a very dangerous one. An Odogaron is pure agility, power and rage. This thing…if it were any other person…this monster would kill them in a moment's notice."

Ozpin looked up for a moment his expression beyond curious. "What do you mean 'any other person'? Is Jaune Arc special?"

The Hunter nodded and never looked away from his Scroll. "The Odogaron hits with such speed and strength that I don't think anyone aside from Veteran Huntsmen or Huntresses would have the Aura to withstand it. Hunters can, because it's what we trained for…but this thing…it's not like Grimm. The Grimm are mindless. They're easy. This thing…it thinks. It plans. It has the mind of a pure, perfect killing machine. You thought Grimm were dangerous, Ozpin? Well…you have no idea. Jaune, though…he has the Aura to withstand it. Junior knows. After all, he's the one who unlocked it."

Junior nodded. "Yeah…tired the hell out of me too. But what about the others? If we don't go take care of this thing and it gets away, it could kill the rest of them."

Alastor held his hand up, getting everyone's attention and stopping everything. "No. As dangerous as I know this thing is, this is Jaune's hunt. This is Jaune's kill to make. I will not mar his pride as a Hunter. He has his partner and he has my training. He WILL come out on top. The Odogaron is an Apex Predator, built solely by nature to kill whatever it comes across…but Jaune. He's no simple meal. He's no Huntsman."

He looked back to his scroll, watching his roll out of the way of the monster as his barrier shattered.

"He's a Hunter."

 **-X-X-X-**

Jaune dodged once more as he saw the tail coming for him. Weiss almost had his weapon standing and was sweating immensely. They would have to work on her strength over the next four years if they made it out alive.

Finally, with one last heave, Weiss got the insanely heavy case standing and looked at the keypad. "Ummm…oh yes! Two-Eight-Seven-Six!" She quickly put in the combination and turned to see Jaune dodge out of the way. "Jaune! I got it!"

He nodded and the Odogaron watched him keenly. It was tiring itself out, but the beast was sure that its prey was getting tired as well. It didn't take long for Jaune to notice that nothing was happening though. "Uh, Weiss?! What's going on?!"

She panicked and turned back around. "I put it in!"

The Blonde was forced to dodge an incoming swipe from the monster. "Did you hit the pound key?!"

She looked flustered and shouted out in irritation. "You didn't tell me to! I don't know how this thing works!"

She quickly hit the pound and the Grimm's Fable entered Tower Mode before it went to work. The hatch opened once more, but this time, instead of a show of blades, a long handle came out followed by what she was sure was a flow of the fluids that Jaune had mentioned.

He felt his armor react and turned to grab the handle that shot towards him mid-dodge. The moment the handle came in contact with the magnetic field, the fluids all shot towards him like lightning and immediately solidified while another handle shot out of Grimm's Fable. This weapon took the form of a massive lance with a large barrel at the end of it. There was a blade at the end as well, but it seemed more like a large bayonet more than anything else. It also had a revolving chamber that was filled with various types of Dust, having been moved with the nano-bots.

He grinned as the Odogaron reacted to this development violently. It tried to hit him with his tail flip again, but this time, he countered with a powerful, sundering slash that shattered a few of the bone-like protrusions on its tail, making it roar in pain ready to back off, until he pulled the trigger, revolving the chamber to Red Dust and an explosion rocked it so hard that it staggered back.

Jaune then reached back and caught the other handle that formed a shield that was large enough to cover his torso, all the way down to his thighs. His grin got wider as Weiss made her way over to him, watching the Odogaron shake and seethe with what she assumed was rage. They then saw lines appearing on its flesh like veins, glowing blood red as it released another terrifying roar. It then rushed them both with a speed even faster than before.

Jaune barely had time to block the strike of its claw and didn't have the time to counter as it leapt over both of them, spinning in midair and slamming its tail into both their backs. Weiss tried to create a wall of ice but the tail bashed through it like it was nothing. She let out a pained scream while Jaune picked himself up and looked to see that the monster had torn through her Aura like paper. The bones on its tail had cut her slightly and tore her dress, but so long as she stayed out of the fight, she should be fine.

He growled and watched as it charged it him, but he positioned his Modified Gunlance so that it was facing behind him and he charged up a shot it his Aura. "Blast Dash!" He let the shot go and the explosion sent him flying fast at the charging Odogaron. He held up his shield as the monster swiped, but he let go of it right as the beasts claws stuck, planting his feet into the shield and using it to launch himself high into the air, at the apex of his jump, he gained a hardened look and turned himself to face the monster who now looked up at him with rage and hunger. He positioned himself once more and took a deep breath. _'This is stupid and dangerous!'_

"Blast Dash, Terminal Velocity!"

The explosion propelled him back towards the ground as he clenched the handle of the Gunlance in both of his hands, pointing it towards the ground. The Odogaron tried to swipe at him with its tail, but Jaune channeled his Aura once more into the barrel of the Gunlance, making it glow hot red as he closed in stabbing the tail, impaling it into the ground while at the same time, yelling out, "Dragon's Breath!"

The ground cratered from the gigantic, self-sustaining fireball that soon exploded, making the Odogaron fly back, flailing like a maniac as its tail wasn't just cut off, it was disintegrated from the blast. Weiss once more bore witness to a fireball of terrifying proportions as Jaune stood slowly in the gathering flames. His Aura protected him as he walked and picked up his shield. The flailing beast was up once more, though it was without its tail, thankfully. It charged him regardless of the damage it took and Jaune took up a more traditional stance he had learned from his Master and blocked the initial swipe before sidestepping out of the way of a feral bite. He jabbed at its head and made contact, drawing blood, though it did nothing but enrage the beast once more, and making it glow again and roar. Covering his ears, he saw Weiss trying to stand and fight. _'Dammit…this thing…we can't beat it! we need to get away!'_

' _But how…'_

 **-X-X-X-**

Alastor watched the impressive display of Hunter Arts that he had taught Jaune. He used them in such a way that they had pretty much become something else entirely. It took one massive attack to sever the Odogaron's tail, which impressed him, but he knew that Jaune seeing it get back up with no problem would demoralize him. Having never dealt with a beast of this magnitude, he was sure to feel the pressure.

Ozpin was shocked at the amount of power behind the weapons Jaune controlled while Junior was smiling with pride at the damage his creations could cause. "Hell yeah kid! Damn! You taught him some crazy shit, Alastor!"

He grinned in pride. "I taught him the Hunter Arts; he merely applied them in a manner that I never thought of. That's all him."

"Interesting…" Ozpin stared back and replayed the explosion a few times before taking a sip. "Perhaps you WOULD be better suited for Combat Class, Mr. Demor. Are you sure that you wouldn't want to switch with Mr. Xiong? I'm sure that other students could benefit well from skills such as these."

Alastor lost his smile and Death saw the rage boiling inside of him. A Hunter taught their skills to their Apprentices. Not to everyone who wanted to learn them. Alastor was a Weapons Master and taught pretty much everything he knew to Jaune. He put work into the boy because he had shown him something that the Hunter felt was worthwhile. Death knew why the rage was there. Ozpins suggestion would spit in the face of the Hunters efforts. He calmed himself, though. The Hunter knew that Ozpin wasn't aware of the way Hunters trained.

"No dice, Oz. Jaune is my only apprentice and honestly, with how he pulls the techniques, once more, it's only because he has such a massive Aura that he can do them like he does. Besides, even if the kids could learn, none of them have what he has."

Ozpin raised a brow at this and question the man. "And just what might that be?"

Alastor watched the screen of his Scroll, watching Jaune dodge and roll while attacking the Odogaron in between its attacks. "Jaune doesn't want to do this for money. He has plenty of it from Grimm's Fable. He's not doing it for fame. He never once gave people his name when he saved them. He always told them that the Hunters of Grimm's Fable are always there to help. Jaune does it because he's the same as me…"

He continued to watch as Jaune used his shield to block the bite of the monster, only to have it ripped from his grip and tossed away. "When I lost my family, I dedicated my life to making sure that no one ever feels that pain again. I wanted to be the reason they slept soundly at night. That's what he wants. He just wants the world to be safe. For Humans AND Faunus. He wants to be a Hero."

Ozpin hummed and sipped his cocoa. "Interesting, though I'm sure that there are others in the school that share the same philosophy. Skill such as these could benefit the Huntsmen and Huntress community as a whole."

Before Alastor could snap at the man, he was surprised when Glynda actually spoke up. "Sir, with all due respect, the relationship between a Master and an Apprentice is sacred. Their teachings aren't something that can be simply passed from person to person. If Mr. Demor says that Jaune is the only one worthy of these techniques…then in my professional opinion, Jaune should be the only one to learn them. Besides…with some of the students, I don't really think they need techniques this destructive."

Ozpin closed his eyes and sighed. "If you think so, Glynda. However, Mr. Demor, should you change your mind, I won't mind changing you over."

Alastor silently thanked the witch to himself and crossed his arms. "Don't hold your breath. Jaune is it."

 **-X-X-X-**

"Fuck! Just How Tough Is This Thing?!"

Weiss was back on her feet, her Aura doing its best to heal her, but she stayed back, playing a more supportive role as she would randomly create spikes of ice beneath the beast when it would lunge for Jaune. While they never hit, they made it reposition itself so Jaune could strike it. "We need something big! Wait…I got it! Weiss! Can you get back to Grimm's Fable and put in Seven-Two-Two-Seven!"

She nodded and started to run, but then the monster turned its attention to her. Jaune hadn't expected this, as its attention had been on him the entire time. He grit his teeth and positioned himself for another dash, only this time, he had his shield in front of him. "Blast Dash!"

Shooting forward once more, the Odogaron didn't have the time to register what was happening as a massive blunt force slammed into its side. It roared and fell over; giving Weiss just enough time to get to Grimm's Fable and put in the code. With a mash of the pound button, the weapon in Jaune's hand liquefied before the magnetic field changed, making the fluid take the form of a massive silver blade that was easily longer than he was, but it was also incredibly wide. He acted quickly, as the Odogaron had yet to recover, and swung his Great Sword in a massive arc, using it to gather his Aura before he absorbed it all, intensifying it and shrouding his face in darkness, making his eyes glow almost red. "Lions Maw!"

He looked intimidating before he took a position and gathered the energy into his blade and reared back. "Brimstone…"

The Odogaron tried to rise to its feet, but Jaune had already begun his slash. "SLASH!"

The impact created another crater and Jaune fell to his knees, gasping for air as dirt and dust filled the air. He could feel it. His Aura was finally reaching its limit with so many Hunter Arts. He tried to stand, but his body refused to move. "Dammit…I overdid it…"

"Jaune!" Weiss came running through the dust and debris as fast as she could and tackled him out of the way as the Odogaron leapt through the vision-obscuring smoke. Jaune looked terrified at the sight. That didn't kill it?! No…it's not that…

He missed…

He groaned in pain as Weiss stood, Myrtenaster at the ready as she put herself between him and the monster. "Don't worry Jaune…we can get through this!"

The Odogaron looked as though it had gotten its second wind and Jaune was holding his side in pain. "Weiss…you need to get out of here!"

"I'm not leaving you!"

The moment she said that, it charged. She created a wall of ice to stop it but it barreled through like it had done with everything else. She prepared for the impact, but once it got close, something crazy happened.

There was a long and loud scream, followed by a pink and orange blur slamming into the Odogaron, and then there was a pink explosion that toppled it once more. The blast, though, also sent Jaune and Weiss flying back. Jaune, though, was caught and Weiss was able to right herself and land on her feet with stumble. "My apologies…Nora has a tendency to overdo things."

Jaune looked up to see a boy with long black hair with a pink strip in it. He had a small, friendly smile on his face and Jaune sighed with relief. He then heard another scream and looked to see a ginger girl in a skirt swing her massive hammer, slamming it into the jaw of the Odogaron before another explosion took place. He was impressed that this girl was keeping it down, but it wouldn't be long before it got back up. "Ren! I need help!" Jaune groaned and stood, albeit shakily. "We…ugh…we need a plan…and it needs to work perfectly…"

He fell to his knees, only to be supported by Weiss and the boy. "Nora and I will help if you'd like. If I'm being honest, you look like you kinda need it."

Jaune nodded and looked to see Grimm's Fable. "I have an idea, but if I use it, I won't be able to move. I'll need to have absolute focus. Can you two keep that thing busy?"

The boy smiled and from his sleeves came two small, green machine pistols with blades attached to them. "Leave it to us!"

He dashed in and Jaune looked at Weiss. "I need you…to get me to my weapon…"

She nodded and picked him up, supporting him with her shoulder as they circled around where Nora and Ren were keeping the Odogaron busy. They soon made it and Jaune took a moment to collect his thoughts. "What are you going to do?"

His breathing was heavy and he looked at the keypad. "As a Hunter I was trained in fourteen weapon types. The man who made my weapon, though, included two more, utilizing the earpieces that I have. The Zero Form and my weapons Final Form. To use either one I need absolute focus so it's not really practical for a fight. With them holding it off, though, I should be able to use it. I hope…"

He looked back and saw the beast was back on its feet and he groaned while Weiss supported him some more. "Alright…time to do this…"

 **-X-X-X-**

"Holy shit he's going to actually use it?! Right now?!"

Junior looked stunned and slightly terrified. He looked at Alastor in a small panic. "Alastor, I know how you feel about this but this is getting too dangerous. This thing isn't stopping and Jaune is talking about using his weapons Final Form!"

Alastor grimaced and looked at the screen. The clearing they were in was in shambles. It looked like a true battlefield. But…

"I can't…"

Junior was in his face, grabbing him by the collar. "What do you mean you can't?! Grimm's Fable's Final Form could do some serious damage to him as he is right now! His mind is taxed from the fight! What if he can't handle it?! He'll be brain dead, don't you get it?!"

Ozpin looked wide eyed at that information. "I must agree with Mr. Xiong. If that weapon could do such a thing to Mr. Arc then this must end now."

Alastor grit his teeth and nearly crushed his Scroll. "No! I told Jaune that he has to believe in himself! That he needs to be confident in his own abilities! If he thinks he can do this then he can! I trust his judgement!"

Junior looked angry, but when he saw the look in his friends' eyes, he sighed and slowly let go of him. Ozpin, however, didn't feel the same. "Jaune Arc's weapon is incredibly dangerous to himself if this is causing this much concern. Perhaps, Mr. Xiong, when this is over, you should lock those dangerous forms away until we are certain he can use them without fear."

Alastor looked at Junior and he looked back at him, as if asking his permission. The Hunter nodded and the Broker and he looked back to Ozpin. "I'll make sure to lock them away. So long as he makes it out of this, that is. Damn…the twins are gonna be MAD!"

 **-X-X-X-**

Jaune stood beside Grimm's Fable with Weiss supporting him, trying to collect his thoughts as best he could. It was hard, though. Here they were, two more people putting their lives on the line to help him beat this monster. It crept up in his mind more than he liked and no matter how much he tried to get rid of it, it crawled back. "Weiss…we can't wait anymore. Please…I'm going to take a seat, try to take the pain off my mind. Key it in please. Code Zero-Zero-Zero."

He slowly lowered himself from her grip and sat cross-legged, his eyes closed as he took deep breaths. Explosions rocked the air around him as Nora held up a relentless assault on the Odogaron, with Ren trying his best to maintain control with his weapons. Weiss, though, looked worried as she keyed in the code he told her. The moment she hit pound, the earpieces Jaune had lit up as Grimm's Fable hissed, releasing steam and making her back away. Jaune looked to be meditating as his weapon started to open up, revealing the massive amounts of liquids within the case.

He flinched as his armor flared its magnetic aura and the liquids reacted, moving through the air and spiraling around him. He opened his eyes slowly and stared at the form of the beast that was giving him so much trouble. In an instant, the fluids reacted and shot towards it, specific parts sharpening as it attempted to pierce the monsters flesh.

It was, once more, proving to be too fast, though. After an initial connection, the Odogaron dodged out of the way, only to be greeted once more by Nora's hammer. The resulting explosion staggered it and gave Jaune another chance. He focused his thoughts and surrounded it as best he could, trying to leave no room for error as he formed the liquid into needle-like blades and telling them to attack.

Nora and Ren backed off as the needles pierced the beast, forcing it to stop, but not go down. Jaune looked on with wide eyes as he was SURE that at least ONE of those had to be fatal. However, despite this, the Odogaron merely stared him down, its blue eyes betraying a deep rage, deeper than before. Its growl was low and menacing and Jaune could feel something wafting off it in waves. It was its pure and unwavering intent to kill. To destroy him and consume him. The fear crept into his mind and in that moment, that single second of wavering fortitude, the blades piercing the beast liquefied and oozed from the wounds they had made, returning to the case to hover in its personalized magnetic field.

The beast did not charge, though. It stared at Jaune and the blonde stared back with fear in his eyes. Weiss was worried for her partner and tried to shake him out of his stupor while Nora and Ren restarted their assault. This time, though, it proved fruitless. Though blood was certainly leaking from the beast, it seemed to be no more hindered than it had been before. Nora tried to hit it with her hammer, but in a show of speed, dexterity and sheer ferocity, it caught the long handle in its mouth and jumped while spinning down and slamming the ginger into the ground, forcing the air from her lungs and stunning her. Ren ran in and slashed at its legs before it could bite at Nora, but he was forced to focus his Aura into a barrier to block a ferocious bite that had him digging his feet into the ground, sweat beading on his forehead as his teeth clenched.

Weiss was in front of Jaune, her hands on his shoulders as she continued to shake him. "Jaune…Jaune! Snap out of it! We need you here with us! Come on!"

"We can't win…"

His voice was small and she almost didn't hear him. But she did. His voice was overtaken by fear, but at the moment, she wasn't having it. "Jaune, Ren and Nora are fighting that thing with us! We're all still here. We're not going anywhere. We can win…we just need you to stand and fight with us. I know…it's scary…terrifying…but we can beat it. Jaune…"

She pulled him into a hug, the sudden contact snapping him back to reality as he noticed what was happening. Nora was slowly recovering as Ren barely held back the Odogaron. Weiss was hugging him and Grimm's Fable was back in Tower Mode. "I…don't have enough Aura…even if we could…I'm exhausted…you guys should run. It wants me the most for some reason…I can distract it long enough for you three to get away."

Though he couldn't see her face, she shook her head into his shoulder as she gripped him tighter. "When we first met you told me about how your Master was training you to be a Hunter, not a Huntsman…you told me that if I ever needed your help then you'd be there for me. Well…I need your help now."

It was then that he felt something both icy cold and blazing hot at the same time. She pulled back with a small smile and held a hand over her chest. "It's not much…but I hope that my Aura can help you…please…"

Jaune stared at her and then looked down at the ground. He looked then to see the Odogaron batting around Ren and Nora like they were toys. He narrowed his eyes, looked at Weiss and nodded firmly. Slowly and shakily, he stood up, propping himself on his knee and taking a deep breath. "Weiss…Eight-Seven-Two-Four-Three-Three-Nine…please…"

She smiled softly and nodded, walking over to Grimm's Fable as Jaune stood up straighter. He heard the clicks of the keys pressing down and soon, the hiss of the hatch opening up. He took another breath and held out his hand, a handle now in his grasp and the liquid metal forming a long, thin blade that gave off a glint in the sunlight above. Though he was beyond exhausted from overusing his Aura and taxing his body with massive attacks, the embers of Weiss's own Aura burned in his chest. He focused it, moved it into the length of his blade, making it glow white, then yellow and finally red.

Slowly, he spread his legs into a deep and powerful stance, watching as the Odogaron batted away the two who were brave enough to face down such a beast. It did not bother with such meager meals, however. It turned and its hungry eyes fell on Jaune who had sweat pouring down his face, chest and back. He felt his grip slipping on his handle and noticed the edges of his vision blurring. "Come on…you MONSTER!"

Jaune clenched his teeth as the beast charged him, howling as it did. He denied his body the right to fall to the roar, though. He held his blade in front of him, focusing what he had left of his Aura into his arms and making a small gust of wind swirl around him as he flexed slightly.

The Odogaron closed in.

Hungry blue eyes met their determined blue counterparts.

"CRITICAL JUNCTURE!"

 **-X-X-X-**

"By the Sapphire Star…"

Alastor smiled with pride as he saw his Apprentice do what many Hunters would consider the impossible. Sure, he had fought and killed Grimm, but to fight an Odogaron and…well needless to say, congratulations were in order for the young blonde.

"Mr. Demor, I would like to employ your services on this matter. Since you seem to know what that thing was, I hope I am right in assuming you know how to deal with such a beast."

Alastor kept his grin. "Sure thing, Oz. I'll take care of it for you. Damn…that…that's why I chose you Jaune…"

He felt a small, prideful tear welling up in his eye before he wiped it away and pocketed his scroll with a smile. "Hey, Junior…he's not gonna die from using so much Aura, is he?"

The Broker shook his head. "Nah, he'll just need some rest and a decent meal. I gotta say, he definitely earned it too. That thing was a monster and he sent it running with its tail between its legs! Well…what was left of it, anyway."

Alastor chuckled before something hit him. "Holy shit…I can make him a proper weapon!"

Junior looked peeved and crossed his arms. "What's that supposed to mean?!"

The Hunter patted him on the shoulder, his grin still in place. "Hunters use the corpses of our kills to harvest parts for weapons. It's a tradition that we use whatever we can to maintain a balance with nature. However, we left a majority of the corpse behind as tribute to the ecosystem so the scavengers could benefit from our kills. Don't worry, Junior. Once I take it down and get the chance to make something, the weapon is pretty much going to be a traditional piece. I'm just happy that my Apprentice will get to have one!"

Junior smiled a bit and nodded. "I gotcha, man. Just bring me what you need and plans. I'll get it made, no problem."

 **-X-X-X-**

Ren and Nora both staggered over to the Heiress and Jaune. While they had little Aura left, the majority of it being shattered by the Odogaron, they were still able to stand for the most part. Jaune himself was passed out completely with Weiss having already put the code back in Grimm's Fable as she had seen him do, stowing his weapon back inside the case. She knelt beside him and had placed his head in her lap, not caring about the dirt that would surely stain her dress. As Ren got closer, he smiled lightly at the blonde. "I have to say, that was certainly impressive. But, I'll have to ask him if he can do that a bit sooner next time. Any longer and I'm pretty sure we'd be food."

Nora slammed her hand into his back, making him fall flat on his face without resistance. "We're alive, Renny! Who cares if it took a little longer than it REALLY should have? We live to eat another day!"

Weiss smiled at the two and then down to Jaune. Truly, the display was impressive. He had countered a feral bite from the monster and had taken its left eye as a result. He had almost made a pretty long, yet shallow gash along its side. After Jaune collapsed, they were sure they were done for until it roared and retreated.

Ren stood up and dusted himself off. "Of course. Now…I think its best we get out of here before that thing comes back. Nora, can you help me carry him?"

Weiss looked like she wanted to protest, but Nora smiled and put the blonde over her shoulder. "You need rest too, sister. Just follow us. We were near the ruins before we heard that AWESOME explosion. We'll make sure the both of you get there in one piece."

Ren was impressed that Nora was being as calm as she was, though he attributed it to being beaten into the ground by the beast from before. He walked up beside her and gave Weiss a smile. "We will, you have our word. He saved us, so allow us to return the favor."

He took Jaune from Nora, and the girl went to go pick up his weapon. It shocked her with how heavy it was at first, but it didn't change that she was able to lift it with little effort. Weiss followed behind them, her hand over her heart as she fought back tears. _'I need to get stronger…both of them came in and helped and Jaune made it run away. I…I barely did anything…I can't be a damsel in distress…I won't be!'_

In that moment, her eyes hardened and she wiped away a tear that slipped through. Her decision was made. She would catch up to Jaune. She wouldn't be a damsel. She would be his partner.

On that, she swore her name as a Schnee.

 **-X-X-X-**

The auditorium was filled to the brim as students sat in silence, waiting for the naming of the first-year teams. Ozpin stood in front of them all and cleared his throat. He spoke with authority as pictures of the people he called out appeared on the screen above the stage they all stood up. "Russel Thrush. Cardin Winchester. Dove Bronzewing. Sky Lark. The four of you retrieved the black bishop pieces. From this day forth, you will be known as Team CRDL (Cardinal), led by your own Cardin Winchester."

The four boys had smirks on their faces as they nodded and followed their new leader off of the stage. After this, four more took their places before Ozpin as he spoke. "Ruby Rose. Yang Xiao-Long. Melanie Malachite. Pyrrha Nikos. You four took up the white rook pieces. As of now, you will be known as Team MPYR (Imperial). Though, tradition typically states that the first to be named in the team is the Team Leader, in this situation I will be breaking tradition and naming Ruby Rose Team Leader."

The young girl looked stunned as her sister shook her happily, walking her off the stage and leading her to the side so she could congratulate her. Four more took their place and Ozpin continued. "Blake Belladonna. Miltia Malachite. Brazz Gust. Rust Thistle. You all collected the black rook pieces and as such, you will be known as Team MBBR (Ember), led by Miltia Malachite."

The four of them bowed before Ozpin and made their way off the stage to make way for the three that took their place. It was known throughout the school that during Initiation, there was a student that had fought so hard that he burned through his Aura and knocked himself out and has been out for the last day. Some romanticized it, claiming he did it to protect the one he loved, while others said he was being a show off and got carried away. Others simply didn't believe it. "Weiss Schnee. Lie Ren. Nora Valkyrie. Jaune Arc. Though one of you is currently indisposed, the four of you collected the black knight pieces…" Nora frowned. She had wanted the castle…

"You four, once Mr. Arc has recovered, will be known as Team SNRA (Sangria). You will be led by Weiss Schness."

Weiss was stunned. She was actually frozen in place and stared at the Headmaster in shock. Ren and Nora both picked her up and walked her off the stage before setting her down. She stared at the other teams as they walked away, making their way to the infirmary as Ozpin named off the other teams. She didn't understand. This was what she had wanted. What she had trained for. But…

Why did it feel wrong?

 **-X-X-X-**

Alastor sat at his Apprentice's bedside as Death hovered over him. "Man, you looming like that is gonna make me think he's gonna die. He's…not gonna die…right?"

Death shook his head and hovered lower, taking a position where he seemed to be sitting. **"No. If anything, his Aura should come back even stronger than before. Though, he must learn to control it. He is a lot like you, in the sense that he has much power, but cannot completely control it. He wastes a lot of it, in fact. Though, that will come in time. What of you? It has been some time since you used my Scythe in combat and I'm unsure as to whether or not you're rusty. Was the Odogaron a challenge?"**

The Hunter scoffed and released his hold on Deaths Scythe, letting it disappear from the world of the living to rejoin her master. "Hardly. I've fought more of those beasts than I can count. They're an invasive species that has a tendency to slip into other ecosystems, much like the World Eater. Though, I have to give credit for a lot of it to Jaune. He did some major damage, even if he didn't kill it. Also, thank you for transporting the corpse to Junior's warehouse. I know you didn't have to."

Death didn't speak for a moment, his skull betraying no emotion before he coughed into his bony hand. **"Y-yes…well. You're welcome. I couldn't leave something like that lying around. Gods only know what would happen if a Grimm ate something with so much power."**

"…"

" **Alastor…"**

"You're wondering too. Aren't you?"

The Reaper nodded and looked out the window, seeing the sun high in the sky. **"There is no way that something such as that should be in this world. I have a bad feeling about what it may imply."**

Alastor looked at Death with curiosity in his eyes. "And what is that?"

Normally, a few years back, the Reaper would deny him knowledge such as this, but over time, he became something of a gossiper with his Agent. **"This could mean that the Agent of Chaos knows you are here. It is also possible that her governing deity granted her certain abilities. One of those could very well be the power to pull creatures such as that Odogaron into this world. This could be very bad for the Huntsmen and Huntresses. It means that her power is stifling. With Grimm already here, the introduction of monsters from your world could upset the already fragile balance this world teeters on."**

The Hunter shut his eyes and clenched a solemn fist. "Then it's best that I help Ozpin take care of this Salem chick, and then go after the Agent of Chaos."

Death nodded. **"Yes, that seems to be the best plan. Help the Agent of Order and then have him help you take care of the Agent of Chaos. After all, Order and Chaos are sworn enemies, or at least the Gods are."**

Alastor hummed, but before he could reply, the door opened to reveal his Apprentice's new team. He smiled and stood up, dusty off the shoulder of his leather jacket. "Ah, Team SNRA! Come to see Jaune, have you? Well, I'll leave you to it. He's still resting, so keep it down. If he wakes up, make sure he gets some food, ok Team Lead?"

Weiss smiled at the form of Jaune sleeping and nodded as the Hunter passed her. Before he could leave the room, though, she turned to face his back. "Mr. Demor…"

He stopped, turning and giving her a grin. "Don't. You'll do fine, ya hear? Jaune doesn't care about that leadership crap anyways. Besides, behind every leader is a strong second-in-command. Remember that. Don't go thinking you aren't strong enough. MAKE yourself strong enough."

She nodded, but that only made him turn around completely to face her, crossing his arms with a smirk. "Uh-uh, girl. I wanna hear it from your lips. What're you gonna do?"

She stole a glance at the blonde behind her, both Ren and Nora flanking him and joking around. "I will get stronger. As a Schnee, I promise that I will become strong enough to call myself worthy of leading them."

He got a look of surprise in his eyes before chuckling. "Uh…yeah…you related to Winter Schnee by chance?"

Weiss leveled a playful glare at the Hunter turned Teacher and crossed her arms haughtily. "She's my sister and I would appreciate it if you would apologize to her. The paperwork she was left with was to be split evenly among the both of you and she was left to debrief General Ironwood on her own!"

He scratched the back of his head and nodded. "I'll send a message to Ironwood to give her my apolo-…"

"That won't do. I will contact her myself so you can apologize properly."

Alastor rolled his eyes with a smile and turned around. "Whatever you say, Snowball."

The door closed before she could really go on about how her name was not Snowball and she sighed, turning to face her team. Ren was keeping Nora from jumping on Jaune in order to wake him up and she sighed once more. She certainly had her work cut out for her, but…hopefully with Jaune's help; she would be able to get stronger.

She sat in a chair at the end of his bed and thought back to how she was before she met him. How would she be now? Sure, she retained her regal demeanor and serious attitude, but his influence in her was definitely present. Winter had noticed it only weeks after he had left Atlas. She wasn't as stiff. She joked more. Smiled more.

She smiled at that simple thought as she stared at his peaceful face. The peace didn't last very long before the door burst open and in came the Malachite Twins, followed by their respective teams. The two jumped onto the bed, with Melanie begging for him to wake up while Miltia cried animatedly into his chest. Weiss, though, was too stunned to register what was actually happening until she heard Jaune scream out, yelling for them to get off of him. She jumped up and was by his head, sighing when she realized that he was ok and smiling, albeit painfully, considering the two twin missiles he was hit by in his weakened state.

She smiled and took her seat once more. She would let the others see him. After all, she was his leader.

She had four years of the boy all to herself.

 **END:**

 **I do hope that this chapter was to everyone's enjoyment. I tried a few things in this chapter that I hope showed where Jaune sat in terms of skill and power. Plus, I really love Odogaron. He's pretty much my favorite monster that was introduced in World. It's always a tie between him and Vaal Hazak. I would like to thank…**

 **TheXIIIth**

 **Who I am assuming is a guest since I can't click on his/her name. But thank you for the idea to integrate Hunter Arts into the fighting styles. While that may not have been your full intention, it is an idea that I attribute to you, so thank you. Also, another thanks to…**

 **Artyom-Dreizehn**

 **For his history lesson on the MH world. I was never one really for the lore, but the way he described it, makes it sound interesting. Plus, it gives me more ideas for side stories from the main storyline.**

 **Anyways, please continue to enjoy the story and don't hesitate to say what you want in terms of weapon variants. The weapons, while they have basic forms, can be programed with sub-functions, through the use of Dust. Though there hasn't been much mention of Dust usage, only Aura so far, he will start to dig deeper into his arsenal as the challenges start to rack up against him. Also, any monster you would like to see the cast fight? Elder Dragons you want to see later on? Feel free to suggest whatever you want and I will most definitely read it. I read every review you readers write and take all things into consideration. If you feel as though I could improve, by all means, please say something. Anyways, that does it! Until next time!**

 **Elemental Shadow Out!**


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